MATT'S WORLD

May 21, 2008

 

MAKING FUEL AT THE COLLEGE 

 

Matt has a nifty biodiesel plant at Dickinson College and some groovy interns to run it with.  Their latest rage is making liquid hand soap from the waste glycerin.

 

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE FARM

 

Wearing his other hat, Matt and his partner Jen are running a CSA or Community Supported Agriculture farm.  Their members pay a fee up front and share in the harvest every week.  They use the spin cycle and laundry bags to dry the lettuce after it has been washed.  Matt's faithful dog, Pinto Bean poses with him beside the blackboard which lists this week's harvest items.

 

ALL CATS HAVE NINE LIVES

 

Especially Roscoe, who has a habit of climbing up into the rafters of this old barn and getting stuck up there.  Bob and Matt risked life and limb to get Roscoe down.  Here he is sitting on the tractor after his rescue.

 

GREENHOUSE ENVY

 

Their greenhouse is a techno wonder and a work of art.

 

A system of water panels sends sun warmed water into this holding tank and dispersed it throughout the greenhouse in pipes laid beneath the beds.  When the sun doesn't shine, the sensor turns on the biodiesel fueled boiler and it takes over.

 

VIBRANT, EXUBERANT, MAGNIFICENT 

 

These are the words that sprang to mind when we looked at the giant heads of lettuce and radicchio in Matt's greenhouse.  Matt cut a few and we brought them down to the house for dinner.

 

COMPOSTING GLYCERIN AND GROWING RYE AND VETCH

 

Here are two of the many projects going on this amazing farm.  Matt built a series of compost piles, adding from 25% to 75% glycerin.  Bob was pleasantly surprised to find mycelium growing in the 75% pile.  Growing a cover crop of Vetch and Rye is a good way to add nitrogen to the soil.

 

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING GOOD 

 

The neighbor's cows were on their way home when they saw us, so they stopped to see if we had anything interesting to eat.  Camille is tickled pink with the wheat Matt gave her.  She intends to use it to show a small group of youngsters how their food comes from the earth.

 

WINDING DOWN THE DAY

 

Roscoe was glad to get inside the house after spending Twelve hours on the rafter in the barn.

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