NY Homesteader

It's Moving Time at the NY Homestead

2010-03-23T22:03:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone,
Just a quick note to let you all know we have moved our blog to Word Press. This blog at Word Press is nearly identical to this Blogger Blog, We are in the process of changing our links, and the construction of the "new" blog. We decided this would be in the best interest of all concerned especially our readers. We now have full control of the site and our own hosting.

The URL http://www.nyhomesteader.com no longer points to this blog it now points to our "new" Word Press Blog.

This Blogger Blog will stay up until which point we deem it essential to take it down.

We hope this does not discourage our readers and we will still be posting great articles, tips, and links about sustainability, alternative and renewable energy, gardening, and homesteading. Join Us at Word Press

We appreciate all of our readers and we hope you join us at http://www.nyhomesteader.com come over and check it out! (we are still in the construction phase so don't mind our mess)

Again Thank You, and we look forward to seeing you at, http://www.nyhomesteader.com Remember to sign up for our regular updates !!

Peace and Prosperity to You,,Happy Homesteading,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Most Businesses That Have Invested in Renewable Energy Plan to Add More

2010-03-17T21:11:00.003-04:00

Greetings--
NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:

Most Businesses That Have Invested in Renewable Energy Plan to Add More

While corporate green washing stories are a dime a dozen, an in-depth study by Retailer Daily in conjunction with Environmental Leader is the first to quantify, among many other interesting things; the ROI of adding renewable energy, for businesses, and how that has affected their future plans.

Apparently the first forays into on-site clean energy production has created fans. Of all of the surveyed companies who had added on-site generation of renewable energy, a surprisingly
large percentage said that they are now looking into increasing that amount. For financial reasons.

The comprehensive survey on corporate renewable energy use covers:
How many corporations are using renewable energy,
What industries are using renewable energy,
What types of renewable energy they are using,
How much renewable energy they are using in relation to their entire energy output,
How much they are spending on renewable energy,
What their renewable energy plans for the next five years look like.

To generate on-site renewable energy, the survey respondents:
- 40% spent $1 million or more
- 20% spent $500,000 – $1 million
- 12% did not pay, but shifted the capital costs to a provider through a PPA.

Findings include that financial motivations to lower energy costs predominate, that ROI varies, that government incentives are key influences and that buying RECs seems to be more from a green washing motivation (25%) or from moral obligation (20%), while actually investing in renewable energy is more from a saving money perspective.

Of those who added renewable energy, 95% made a better deal than before. A full 20% made over 15% return on the investment, and the remainder made from 1% to 15% on it.
Only a scant 5% spent more on renewable energy than on their previous source.

Most companies had added wind (72%) and solar (43%), but businesses also added (23%) hydro, (19%) biomass, (19%) bio-fuel, and (11%) “assorted other” and geothermal power.

The full 152 page report contains some specific “school-of-hard-knocks” advice to businesses that are considering adding renewable energy from those who have gone before – like JCPenney, USPS, White Wave, Costco, UPS, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, Half Price Books and Green Mountain Coffee.

There are some tantalizingly informative excerpts:

“In some areas where seismic considerations limited the options for using roof top non-penetrating ballasted systems, UPS found inconsistent application of zoning and building code interpretation between municipalities. ‘That’s unfortunate, because it rules out a whole class of installations which can be cost effective. Other building code considerations related to roof load have reduced the number of sites that could be considered…’ ”

“More state and federal incentives would go the farthest in influencing companies not currently incorporating renewable energy into their energy plans to do so. More affordable pricing options, demand from stakeholders, and guaranteed paid rate per kWh, would also have a strong influence…”

Source Article:
http://cleantechnica.com/2010/03/16/most-businesses-that-have-invested-in-renewable-energy-plan-to-add-more/

Image Credit : Environmental Leader

Enjoy.
Peace and Prosperity,,
Rich @ NY Homesteader
--
http://cleantechnica.com

10% of Energy from Solar by 2030

2010-03-13T08:28:00.004-05:00

Greetings--

NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:

10% of Energy from Solar by 2030

Environment America (EA) released a report titled “Building a Solar Future” this week stating that the US should aim to obtain 10% or more of its total energy consumption from the sun by 2030.
Environment America found that “a comprehensive suite of public policy strategies can remove many of the common barriers to solar energy development and help to make this vision a reality.”
And
if you look at where the US sits compared to other nations on solar energy and solar technology, you can see that it really needs to put these policies into practice.

Other than writing about the benefits of Photovoltaics (PV), Concentrating Solar Power (CSP), solar water heaters, solar space heating and cooling, solar space heating and cooling, and passive solar design, EA found that PV panels “can be installed on the roofs of 35-40 percent of homes nationwide, and solar heat collectors on 50 percent of residential roofs.” Additionally, 60-65% of commercial roof space across the nation is suitable for solar PV.

For businesses, the possibility of using natural light more has huge potential as well. “Walmart’s use of skylights in some its big box stores has cut energy costs by 15 to 20 percent by reducing the need for electric lighting.”
Powering transportation with solar power is also an issue EA brings up, whether it be buses, electric vehicles, golf carts or mini shuttles, or high-speed rail.

EA does not neglect to say, of course, that government policies need to be put in place to achieve these goals. From grants, taxes and feed-in tariffs to Renewable Energy Standards to PACE solar funding to advanced building codes to better rules and technology for net metering and selling power back to the grid to public education and workforce development to a smarter grid to continued R&D for solar technology, EA gives a comprehensive look at what is already being done and what needs to be done to achieve our solar energy potential.

Great report by Environment America! Hopefully, we will see governments follow through on these policy recommendations!

Source Article:
http://cleantechnica.com/2010/03/13/10-of-energy-from-solar-by-2030/

Enjoy.
Peace and Prosperity,
Rich @ NY Homesteader
--
http://cleantechnica.com

Genesee Community College Lands $457,000 Energy Conservation Grant | MYGreen Education and Career

2010-03-13T07:36:00.003-05:00

Genesee Community College has been awarded a $457,661 grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for replacement of campus lighting with new energy-efficient devices, the Board of Trustees learned Monday. The College is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

Through the grant, the College will replace incandescent and fluorescent lighting fixtures and ballasts with more efficient fluorescent lighting and light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs over the next year. LED bulbs are highly energy-efficient and last longer than traditional bulbs, according to Kevin P. Hamilton, Vice President for Finance and Operations. “These changes create greater light output per unit of electrical power used,” Mr. Hamilton said. “And will result in savings of at least $48,000 annually at Genesee.

To read the rest click on the link below

Genesee Community College Lands $457,000 Energy Conservation Grant | MYGreen Education and Career

Peace and Prosperity to You,,Happy Homesteading,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

New “Liquid Magnet” Solder Eliminates Toxic Lead

2010-03-09T05:35:00.033-05:00

Greetings--

NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:

New Liquid Magnet Solder Eliminates Toxic Lead

I am happy to see this and there are many pro's and con's to it, but anything that is more eco-friendly and less apt to pollute our environment, I'm all for it!

A team of researchers at Yale University has developed a new kind of magnetic, lead free solder that could be used to manufacture electronics more cheaply and efficiently. That would be a big boost for efforts to manage the growing problem of electronic waste disposal and recycling, because conventional solder is made from lead, a known health hazard.

Lead is a heavy metal that was commonly used in house paint and
gasoline in the U.S. Those uses were banned after the discovery that lead is a potent neurotoxin, but lead solder continues to be permitted in U.S. manufacturing. That creates a huge problem in the electronic waste stream, and it also impedes U.S. companies from entering global markets where anti-lead regulations are growing.

The Lead Solder Conundrum

The key to lead’s popularity lies in the one-two punch of high strength combined with a low melting point. Lead solder can be melted directly onto delicate electronic components with a relatively small amount of heat, which greatly reduces the chance of damaging the components during the manufacturing process. As writer Katherine Bourzac describes in MIT’s

Technology Review

, so far the non-lead alternatives have failed on both counts: they tend to be weaker, and they require much more heat during the soldering process.

Yale’s Magnetic Solder Breakthrough

The Yale team has come up with a tin-silver alloy that holds micro-particles of iron. Rather than applying heat from an external source, the compound is exposed to a magnetic field. That excites the iron particles, which causes the solder to heat up and melt internally. The result is a highly localized melt that has little or no effect on the components around it. Bourzac explains that the magnetic field also forces the iron particles to line up. The particles hold position when the solder cools, which results in a much stronger bond than possible with conventional non-lead soldering compounds.

Magnets and Energy Efficiency

Magnets are beginning to establish a pivotal role in the energy efficient future. At Columbia University, for example, researchers are developing computer chips that use nano-magnetic materials, which could shave up to 30% off the energy used by data centers. Advances are also being made on the research end, as illustrated by a new high efficiency research magnet being built at Florida State University that will generate a far more powerful field while using less energy. Yale’s new solder is still in the development stages but if it proves adaptable on a commercial scale, it could replace a relatively energy intensive step in the electronics manufacturing process with a simple, more energy efficient magnetic field.

Source Article:
http://cleantechnica.com/2010/03/07/new-liquid-magnet-solder-eliminates-toxic-lead/

Enjoy.
Peace and Prosperity,
Happy Homesteading,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

--
http://cleantechnica.com

Image Credit: Solder by Garycycle2 on flickr.com.

Thermos Bottle Technology Delivers Solar Hot Water in Cold Weather

2010-02-28T14:58:00.003-05:00

Greetings--

NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:

Thermos Bottle Technology Delivers Solar Hot Water in Cold Weather

Even though evacuated tube technology has been around for a while I wanted to post this to the "nay sayers" that think you can't have solar thermal in cold climates. It is a little more expensive at the outset but, it pays for itself in a very short time. Peace,,,
RG

A lunch box staple is the core idea behind solar technology that could bring cost effective solar-heated hot water to cold climates. Solar Panels Plus has come up with a solar hot water heater based on evacuated tubes similar to those popularized by Thermos. Last year two of the company’s models were certified as eligible for Canada’s ecoENERGY for Renewable Heat program, but the real test will occur in southeastern Idaho, where Solar Panels Plus has installed a solar hot water system at the Homestead Family Restaurant in Blackfoot.

If the installation keeps the solar hot water coming in cold weather, it’s another big step forward for the ability of solar energy to compete with fossil fuels. Restaurants are hot water gobblers, and a low cost solar installation that works in cold weather would have a relatively short payback for high volume users — especially if it receives solar energy incentives from its utility, as was the case here.

To read the entire article click on the link below,,,,,

http://cleantechnica.com/2010/02/28/thermos-bottle-technology-delivers-solar-hot-water-in-cold-weather/

Enjoy.

--
http://cleantechnica.com

Peace and Prosperity,,
Happy Homesteading,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Solar Energy Flexes its Muscles in Arizona

2010-02-27T21:51:00.002-05:00

Greetings--

NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:

Solar Energy Flexes its Muscles in Arizona

It ain’t over yet, but it seems that solar energy advocates in Arizona have managed to stall legislation that would have stalled clean energy investment in the state. Representative Debbie Lesko (R-9), the primary sponsor of the HB (House Bill) 2701, withdrew her support after hearing from individuals, groups and businesses including green jobs advocate Az4Solar, solar manufacturer SunTech, and solar installer SolarCity
.
To Read the entire article click on the link below:

http://cleantechnica.com/2010/02/27/solar-energy-flexes-its-muscles-in-arizona/

Enjoy.

--
http://cleantechnica.com

Hanging the Greenwash Out to Dry

2010-02-21T17:26:00.001-05:00

It’s not always the usual suspects making headlines for good “green” behavior. In fact, according to a study released by New Scientist, oftentimes the companies consumers think of as environmentally responsible aren’t really, while companies that consumers might not think of as particularly eco-conscious are doing quite a bit.
On the other hand, a marketing campaign focused on a company’s sustainability initiatives can open it up to criticism for not doing enough, whereas a company that flies under the radar on the green front generally receives a big pat on the back when they do make some step toward sustainability.
The recent announcement from Whole Foods, Inc., that it would be working to eliminate Canadian tar sands oil from its supply chain, contrasted with the announcement last week from supermarket chain Safeway is a perfect example...... Read More>>>>

Source: Hanging the Greenwash Out to Dry | SolveClimate.com

Peace and Prosperity to You,,Happy Homesteading,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Photo Credit by Mooshy__ on Photobucket via CC License

Some Beginners Tips For Starting Your Organic Garden

2010-02-20T20:45:00.006-05:00

The Snow Drops are coming!!

Yeah, It's that time of year again. Time to get into gardening mode. I truly do love this time of year, the chickadee's are singing the spring "fee-bee"song, the coyote's are howling, the days are getting longer, and I can smell it in the air. As for my gardening preparation, I can't do anything outside yet as the ground is still quite frozen and there is plenty of cold and snow before spring "officially" starts.
Most veteran gardeners know most of these tips so I am gearing this post to the beginning organic gardener. After a little thought I have come up with a few tips to help you along with your organic garden during this time of year. Keep in mind that when you do these helpful little chores will depend on your last frost date and which zone you are in.

If you haven't ordered the seeds you want for your garden yet, by all means do it now. This is the busy time for seed dealers and getting those orders out and back to you, could take several weeks maybe even a month or two. I collect my own heirloom seeds each year and therefore don't usually have to buy too many seeds. And I recommend you do the same.

If you are in the same zone as I am (4 - 5) or farther south and you do your onions via seeds, now is the time to start them indoors. I have started mine already (about 4 days ago) I'm anxiously awaiting their arrival but they can take quite some time to germinate.

Make sure you have your garden layout on paper, If you have an existing garden do your best to rotate your crops year to year, as this is essential for a healthy garden and usually prevents plant specific pests from gaining a foothold in one spot.

If you do "cole crops" (cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, etc.) Transplants are usually started 2-3 weeks prior to garden time and can go in the garden about 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date. Same with lettuce, spinach and peas although I prefer to direct sow them in the garden around the first or second week in April (about 4 - 6 weeks before last frost)

Have all your garden tools cleaned and available. I do this in the fall and it is a good habit to get in to. If your just starting out a quick list of some essential tools are, a trowel, spade,(round pointed shovel) square shovel, garden rake, hoe, and garden fork. Once you get into gardening this list will expand a little, but try to stick to the basics, and always buy quality tools. You know the deal "You get what you pay for."

For a little later on in the season have an irrigation and a composting plan ready to go. Irrigation is essential and composting should be foremost in your mind for this and future years of 100% organic fertilizer.

We always advocate organic gardening, Use no chemical fertilizers, no herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides. We do our best to not even use "organic" pesticides that are made of plant based materials because they too , kill indiscriminately You can read a related post on organic pest control by Clicking Here!

If you are just starting with a garden I would recommend that you read everything you can on the subject. You will find many different ideas and theory's on all types of, and ways how to do, organic gardening but, the more you read about it you will begin to see all the basics begin to "stick out like a sore thumb" that, in our opinion, is what you want to start with, and stick with,, the basics!

To start you off on the right track you can get a great beginners guide to organic gardening by clicking on the picture below.

Remember to leave a comment or two and sign up for our feed or our e-mail updates on any page!

Peace and Prosperity to You this gardening season,

Happy Homesteading,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Clean Cab Company Gets Solar Power Boost

2010-02-18T20:38:00.003-05:00

Greetings--

NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:

Clean Cab Company Gets Solar Power Boost

Total Transit already operates the largest Toyota Prius taxi fleet in the nation, but it has just “cleaned up” its operations a lot more by installing 400 solar panels (at a cost of $750,000) on the roof of its headquarters in Glendale, Arizona.
Total Transit is the parent company of Discount Cab, which you can find in Phoenix, Tucson, Los Angeles or Austin.
To Read the rest of the article, click on the link below:......

http://cleantechnica.com/2010/02/18/clean-cab-company-gets-solar-power-boost/

Enjoy.

--
http://cleantechnica.com

Bye Bye Batteries?

2010-02-17T05:59:00.003-05:00

Greetings--

NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:

Bye Bye Batteries?

We hope this is a viable alternative and comes to be a useful actuality!!!

http://cleantechnica.com/2010/02/17/bye-bye-batteries/
Enjoy.

--
http://cleantechnica.com

Social Media Day of Action on Mountaintop Removal

2010-02-14T19:44:00.004-05:00

We here at NY Homesteader would like to ask everyone to support this day of action. It is very important to our future and our childrens future!

Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is setting up a big “social media day of action” this week to put the pressure on JP Morgan Chase to stop financing mountaintop removal.

The date: Thursday, February 18.

RAN asks that you blog, tweet, facebook, and email about the true tragedy that is mountaintop removal.

Greetings--
NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:

Social Media Day of Action on Mountaintop Removal

http://cleantechnica.com/2010/02/14/social-media-day-of-action-on-mountaintop-removal/

Enjoy.

--
http://cleantechnica.com

Peace and Prosperity,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Senators Go Straight at Coal in The Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010

2010-02-10T07:25:00.007-05:00

As many of you know this is a subject that is near to my heart and I could debate about it regularly, I am very happy to see that someone in our government is going after BIG COAL, I do not care about their political affiliation, D or R makes no difference to me. This is a known fact,, there is no such thing as "Clean Coal". OK, so you sequester the gasses and pump them into the ground,,UMM...what happens to our
water then?, what if it escapes in the future and is released in massive quantities? Sequestration is not a viable option at this time in my opinion. What we need is reduction in emissions, and that is exactly what this article is about.

Unfortunately, we all need electricity and about 95% of all coal mined in this and other countries is used for electricity generation. I hear many folks that are very much into alternative energy generation, and that are well meaning, tell me "Go Solar/Wind/Hydro/Nuclear and reduce our dependence on foreign oil" ,the problem with that statement is oil is a transportation fuel, not an electricity generation fuel. That's right 85% of oil is used for transportation that needs to be addressed too, but that is a whole different article! By all means we should be implementing as many renewable energy options as we can, I wouldn't be in the renewable's industry if I didn't think that way. It is by far the best way to eliminate our dependence on DOMESTIC COAL!

In closing let me say, "If you want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil ..ride a bike or walk, but if you want to reduce the ravages of domestic coal on our people and planet get renewable energy as soon as possible".

Peace and Prosperity,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

If you would like to learn how to get renewable energy for your home and reducing your dependence on domestic coal you can do so by Clicking Here!

Enjoy the article it is worth the read!!! And remember to leave some comments at the bottom of this post,,surely someone can come up with a comment about this article!!!

Greetings--
NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:

Senators Go Straight at Coal in The Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010
http://cleantechnica.com/2010/02/10/senators-go-straight-at-coal-in-the-clean-air-act-amendments-of-2010/

Some leading businesses, Hollywood, Obama, and the public are putting the pressure on Congress to move forward with a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill, but while we wait on that, some Senators have decided to tackle some specific coal pollutants that cost the American public trillions of dollars in healthcare costs, hundreds of thousands of lives, and great human suffering every year in another way.

12 Democratic, Republican and Independent Senators have just put forth “The Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010” to protect countless Americans who are being harmed by extremely toxic coal emissions everyday.

Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) introduced the bill last Thursday and got 10 other senators from across the political spectrum to co-sponsor it.

“215,000 lives and more than $2 trillion in health care costs [would be saved] by 2025, by cleaning the air and thereby reducing Americans’ likelihood of suffering from chronic lung disease, asthma, or lung cancer” from these Clean Air Act ammendments, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates. (emphasis mine)

186 million Americans live in areas where air pollution endangers lives, according to the American Lung Association. As a result of this and other factors, the US is now ranked 61st internationally (down from 39th) in overall “environmental performance”. In other words, our environmental quality of life has diminished significantly compared to other nations.
To read the rest of the article click on the link below!!

http://cleantechnica.com/2010/02/10/senators-go-straight-at-coal-in-the-clean-air-act-amendments-of-2010/

Enjoy.
--
http://cleantechnica.com

COOL Idea on Koolies!!

2010-02-08T14:40:00.004-05:00

Greetings--
NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you. We always encourage using post consumer recycled materials.

EcoCoolie Pocket Coolie 2.0
Numo has come back to the market with the EcoCoolie Pocket Coolie 2.0 available Feb 1, 2010. This unit is made of 1/8" high-density recycled-open cell scuba foam and will boast a full 85% post-consumer content, and at EQP for $0.89, that is $0.10 less than the EcoCoolie version one, when it debuted last year.

http://ecopreneurist.com/2010/01/25/ecocoolie-pocket-coolie-20/
Enjoy.
--
http://ecopreneurist.com

Peace and Prosperity,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Clean Power = More Jobs

2010-02-07T03:41:00.003-05:00

Greetings--
NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:

Clean Power = More Jobs

http://cleantechnica.com/2010/02/06/clean-power-more-jobs/
Enjoy.

--
http://cleantechnica.com

Peace and Prosperity,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Arizona Renewable Energy Standard Under Attack From Right

2010-02-06T22:29:00.003-05:00

Greetings--
NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:
Arizona Renewable Energy Standard Under Attack From Right
In the absence of such legislation "The Invisible Hand" has tended to find that utilities should just continue to source their electricity from traditional sources, with the result that states that do not have an RES have the unhealthiest electricity in the nation.
http://cleantechnica.com/2010/02/06/arizona-renewable-energy-standard-under-attack-from-right/
Enjoy.
--
http://cleantechnica.com

Peace and Prosperity,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Hollywood Getting into the Action [Video]

2010-01-31T07:35:00.003-05:00

I Just had to post this! These people have the public's ear, and its not for their exposure but the causes that they speak for! I am reasonably sure that folks like Leonardo, and Bob Redford have twice the fan base of our own president! so listen carefully. The video is very short but one we should all watch and PASS ON to friends and family. I will say the part about "countries that kill our soldiers" I'm not too crazy about.
Thanks!
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Greetings--
NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:
Hollywood Getting into the Action [Video]
http://cleantechnica.com/2010/01/31/hollywood-getting-into-the-action-video/
Enjoy.
--
http://cleantechnica.com

Homesteaders Spring Time Holidays

2010-01-28T06:45:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone, Valentines Day and the spring holiday season is closing in fast, and the pace is picking up. In case you missed it, the US (and the rest of the world for that matter)is in a little bit of economic recession right now so this holiday season could be a lean one for most people.

Here at NY Homesteaders homestead we will be making many of our own gifts as we do every year, (I have given my mom a home made gift almost every year since kindergarten) to offset the cost of the holidays.

OK OK, I know what your thinking,

"I'm not the crafty type" or "I don't know how"
Let me say, It is easier to do than you might think. If you have a wood shop available to you, making a bird feeder or small table is pretty easy to do and is not super time consuming either. No need to get too elaborate (sometimes simple is better) If you need some ideas of things to build you can Click Here!.

I have my twins building their 2 grandma's wind chimes for Christmas this year, and we plan on making our own gifts for Valentine's Day, Easter, and Mothers Day too!!

I took an old pot lid and removed the handle and attatched a 2 foot long piece of 20 lb. test fishing line through the handle hole in the center. About half way down the fishing line we attatched a large bolt washer on the line, we had to work at that a little to make it hang in a horizontal position,(I ended up just using 2 nuts and a piece of a drinking straw) but thats the fun of it. I then cut some copper water pipe at 4, 6, 8, and 10 inches long for the chime parts. Thats as far as we got this time, but I plan on drilling holes around the perimeter of the lid for the chimes and letting them hang with the fishing line so the washer hits them when the wind blows. Then the kids can decorate them with little jewels and or figures that we got by the gross at the local "dollar store". Simple right?

I understand that copper pipe is not cheap, but it is far cheaper than purchasing a ready made copper wind chime. Also, the happiness that not only grandma will feel cause she has 2 one-of-a-kind hand made gifts, also the kids happiness knowing they made it all by themselves (OK with a little help from daddy!) is worth far more than you could ever pay for something out of a catalog or retail store.

So,you don't have a woodshop or workshop at your disposal, (this kind of goes against the grain a little bit), but if you visit your local craft store they sell unpainted simple wooden toys, shelves, bird houses and feeders, etc. for very little money, and you can personalize them with paint and decorations to make them unique. Use your imagination! It is like anything else, the more you practice using it the better it gets! Purchase modeling clay and make a flower pot for someone. If you can knit or sew, maybe make someone a scarf or hat. Did you make some pickles, preserves, or other goodies from your organic garden this year? Try this, cut a few heart pictures, or draw your own, out of a magazine, glue it to the top, put a bow around the jar, and,, Instant Holiday Gift !!!! Seriously,, YOU CAN DO IT !!!!

Hey, it's a busy world and there are many things in life that constrain our time, this I understand ,but if you substitute the time it takes to actually go shopping (not to mention the fuel your using) for an item, you could probably work on a home made gift a few hours (or minutes) a day, and the time would work out almost the same.

There is nothing that brings a family closer than working on projects like these together as a team. The benefits are many, usually "greener", cheaper, learning something new (or better yet, teaching someone, like your children, something new) and the happiness and good feeling of giving instead of receiving all the time.

I hope these tips will help and motivate you to turn your unused study, or even your kitchen table into a "quasi-workshop" this holiday season.

If time absolutely won't allow you to create your own gifts this year you can always visit "The Mercantile" in our sites navigation, at the top of the page, for cool green gifts for this holiday season !!!

Peace and Prosperity to You,,Happy Homesteading,,,NY Homesteader

California Regulators Trip Magic 3 Year Payback Tipping Point for Solar Hot Water : CleanTechnica

2010-01-23T10:27:00.003-05:00

California Regulators Trip Magic 3 Year Payback Tipping Point for Solar Hot Water : CleanTechnica

If you would like to learn more about solar thermal hot water systems or build your own system you can do so by Clicking Here!

Peace and Prosperity to You,,Happy Homesteading,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Surrey Life - The musings of a Surrey beekeeper - Which Bee Hive?

2010-01-22T23:36:00.001-05:00

Surrey Life - The musings of a Surrey beekeeper - Which Bee Hive?

Great article on which hive to choose.
If your thinking of getting into, or starting your own colony, I highly recommend that you start with a beginners guide to bees and beekeeping. This is a hobby that requires a certain amount of responsibility and dedication. You can obtain a quality e-book on this subject by Clicking Here!, or by clicking on the picture below.

Peace and Prosperity to You,,Happy Homesteading,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Think Tucson for Hands-on PV Training in February | Solar Energy International

2010-01-20T23:58:00.004-05:00

Photo by SEI

This company SEI (Solar Energy International) is the business that provided the text book for my first PV Course,, I can say for sure that if you are in the Tucson Area and are looking for top notch training this is the school that you want to attend!!

Think Tucson for Hands-on PV Training in February | Solar Energy International

Peace and Prosperity to You,,Happy Homesteading,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Proposed Bill Would Allow Communities to Share Solar Benefits

2010-01-20T23:44:00.003-05:00

Greetings--
NY Homesteader thinks this will be of interest to you:

Proposed Bill Would Allow Communities to Share Solar Benefits
Being able to take advantage of solar incentives for could be a huge boon to community groups of all kinds, from churches to schools to gardening clubs and could be a great model to other states where urban dwellers lack rooftops of their own.

http://cleantechnica.com/2010/01/20/proposed-bill-would-allow-communities-to-share-solar-benefits/
Enjoy.

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http://cleantechnica.com

Millions of Old Tires Spark Recycling Frenzy

2010-01-15T21:13:00.005-05:00

Greetings one and all--
We here at NY Homesteader think this will be of interest to you:
Millions of Old Tires Spark Recycling Frenzy

It’s like finding money on the street: the average tire contains the same energy as seven gallons of oil, and it has a heat content up to 16% higher than coal. That’s one reason why tire recycling is starting to catch on in a big way.

http://cleantechnica.com/2010/01/15/millions-of-old-tires-spark-recycling-frenzy/

Enjoy.
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http://cleantechnica.com

All I can say is "Thank Goodness" and don't forget to leave us some comments on this article, and sign up for our updates !!
Peace and Prosperity to you,
Happy Homesteading,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

Cool Info on Magnetic Generators

2010-01-10T09:28:00.029-05:00

The advances in magnetic energy generators lately is very cool. Can you imagine generating electricity for free with no outside sources? The strength of neodymium magnets these days is absolutely incredible, very small, yet very strong.
For many years Mag-Lev Trains have been in existence, granted they do use electric pulses to generate the
magnetic field, but it is also a 80 ton train they are levitating and not a small flywheel mechanism turning a generator. This technology does work and it is extremely quiet, it runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and is not affected by atmospheric conditions or weather like wind turbines or solar panels are. The only real downside is, it has moving parts, so there is a certain degree of maintenance. As a side note, I am quite sure that major utility companies are not anxious for the general public to be implementing this technology as it will take money from their coffers.

If you do decide to build one, start with a detailed set of plans, also make sure everything is balanced up on the flywheel mechanism, and do some engineering calculations and make sure that what your building can turn the load you have planned for it. I would recommend gearing if at all possible, although pulley systems will work.

Essentially what you will have is a small generator being turned by your magnetic flywheel mechanism, this in turn goes to a charge controller that is keeping constant charge on a battery bank, the batteries then go to an inverter that changes it to "house current" and there you have it!! Free Power!!

Make no mistake folks,, the battery bank, and inverter are going to cost some money, the balance of system parts (wire, conduit, disconnects, etc.) is relatively cheap. Your ROI (return on investment) is really quite fast compared to say wind, or solar panels, As the technology improves I suspect this will change soon too. For even more information on this exciting form of energy generation, just click on the picture below.

Peace and Prosperity to You,,
Happy Homesteading,
Rich @ NY Homesteader

"Time" in the Garden

2010-01-08T00:01:00.006-05:00

Hi Everyone,
This was a post I wrote last April but, now is a great time to start thinking of your garden plan and when to start your plants! I hope you enjoy it, and we would like to invite you to leave some comments and sign up for our updates Thanks Again, Rich @ NY Homesteader

Just a short post on time frame for vegetable planting. In our area,(NW Sullivan County,Catskills,NY) it is becoming time to think about some warm weather crops.
Our average date of last frost is about May 15-31, the old adage is

don't plant your warm weather crops until after Memorial Day, and it stands pretty accurate for our area. So don't race to the garden with your tender plants just yet
If your working in raised beds and your soil has warmed up you could probably get away with putting some seeds (some tender plants) in the ground within the next week or so, although if a frost is forecast I would recommend covering them. By the time they germinate most danger of a hard frost should be past (don't forget in 2001 we got 8 inches of snow on May 8th, so be careful!!)Things that are very tender like cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers should wait until Memorial Day or beyond. These are usually bought as plants or germinated indoors, and transplanted in the garden. If you have not started your very hardy plants (or seeds) yet I would wait and plant them for a fall harvest especially "cole" crops like broccoli, brussel sprouts, and kohlrabi. They do far better in cool weather. Just a quick note on the "hardiness" of plants....They fall into 4 categories or groups starting with most tolerance to cold to least...and they are

1.)Very Hardy- Broccoli,cabbage,and other cole crops.
2.)Hardy- Asparagus,turnips,and endive.
3.) Tender- Corn, green and wax beans, and peppers.
4.)Very Tender- Melons, Eggplant, Summer squash.

They should be planted at these intervals.

1.)Very Hardy- 4-6 weeks before last frost date.
2.)Hardy- 2-3 weeks before date of last frost.
3.)Tender- date of last frost (but be careful)
4.)Very Tender- 1-3 weeks after date of last frost.
I hope our "Time" in the Garden post has helped

If you are thinking about going "organic" with your vegetable garden this year, or even if your a seasoned veteran, we can help, by offering a very comprehensive guide to "organic" gardening and companion planting.
You can get it by clicking here or on a tomato on the picture below

And our link to the best USDA Hardiness Zone Map is here or at the bottom of this page!!

Happy Homesteading!!,,,Peace and Prosperity,,,,,

Rich @ NY Homesteader