Solved One Roach Problem

Bought a new truck...........roaches gone.

Yup, the old truck had roaches, a common problem here in the tropics. Easiest way to get rid of them without using toxic pesticides is to trade the old vehicle in. The dealer will fumigate it, as part of their vehicle preparation program. So I don't feel the least bit guilty giving them a truck with resident roaches.  

I wasn't in the market for a new truck. Hubby and I have been looking for a reliable 4 passenger used car, but nothing interesting has come along in our price range. So it looked like we were going to have to up our price range some. So I got to thinking. The money designated for the 4 people car, the costs involved with transferring and insuring it, plus having a mechanic look it over well..........plus the costs to fix the current truck and the upcoming maintenance, new brakes and new tires, plus the need for a new fuel pump system soon (it's making noise and of course it's out of warranty) , plus some other suspected issues.... add to that the tax benefits of a new farm vehicle.......well it actually was a better idea to look at a 4 passenger new truck than to buy an additional car. As long as we got a decent trade in value, the numbers said that we would actually have more money in our pocket on January 1, 2020 plus the benefit of a newer truck with a warranty. So we went truck hunting. 

After reviewing our options, we ended up with a Nissan Frontier. It has all the extras we wanted. And not too many bells & whistles that we would never use. And it is a more comfortable fit for my body than the other trucks we tried. That's a plus on this aging body. Hubby and I discussed the pros and cons of the other trucks, and the Frontier was way ahead of the others. It looks like it will be the right truck for me at this time.

Whistle

"J" casually commented to me this morning about how cellphones have made working alone on a farm so much safer. It's easier to call for help. That could certainly be the case for many farmers, but I have a problem on my own homestead. I don't get phone coverage on much of the farm. So what to do? 

Introducing the old fashioned call for help....a loud, piercing whistle. I keep one on my wrist at all times. 

Hubby found this small metal whistle on Amazon. A pack of 5, all different colors. I opted for the black for no special reason. I just did. I wear it all the time. Hanging from a ring on my watchband, I never lose it and can easily find it. 

This whistle came in handy for training Noodles. It's his "come" command. He's strongly conditioned to come to me anytime he hears it. The sound travels quite a distance so I can call him just about anywhere on the farm and he comes a runnin' full speed. 

My neighbor and wwoofer know that if they hear repeated short blasts on the whistle that means I'm in trouble. In all the years I've never needed to use it for an emergency. But it's good insurance to carry it on my wrist. Yes, I always have my cellphone on my too, but it's reassuring to also carry the whistle. 

My Artificial Knees

No, I haven't had surgery. And my artificial knees were really cheap...only $2 at the thrift store. Now that's a bargain! 

Using knee pads is a concession to aging. Kneeling on hard surfaces now hurts. Gone is my youthful natural padding. So anytime I need to work on my knees, I grab the knee pads. Ah, no pain. Wonderful! I don't care if it looks silly walking around the farm wearing knee pads. I'd rather be pain free. 

Quickie Rake Hanger

Here's a quickie......how to make something to hang a rake on, in 10 seconds (longer if you're clumsy). 

Take two nails and one hammer. Pound the nails into the wooden post, far apart enough to fit the rake handle. Wallah, done! 

I use these two rakes back by the sheep pasture. The little one is for manure clean up, the larger one for everything else (mostly wind blown twigs). 

When I don't hang up tools, they end up just about anywhere. On the ground where they get stepped on or run over by the atv. Leaning on a fence, where the donkey knocks them over or chews on them. Up against a tree, whereupon I forget I left it there. I've been doing much better now that I have a spot where they get hung up between uses. I am not by nature a neat, organized person. But I sure do appreciate being able to find my rakes when I need them. 

White Lithium Grease

Corrosion is a common problem here, with the daily vog and acid rain. Most metal objects rust or otherwise corrode. And those that don't, still tend to develop a surface layer of something or other that interfere with their smooth operation. Even outdoor locks fail fairly quickly if not protected in some fashion. 

My "go to" protectant is often white lithium grease. It seems to do a good job while lasting the longest if the things I've tried so far. 

I use it in locks, clips, chains, cinch pins, utility cart axel and hitch, various spots on the ATV. If it's got metal, I most likely use this stuff on it. Well, not my fencing. That would be a daunting task to grease over a mile (or more) of fence. 

I tend to avoid the aerosol grease, preferring the type in a can or squeeze tube. Maybe it's just my own preferences, but I don't think that the aerosol works as well. 

DIY Engine Repair

Strum, sputter, utt-putt, strum, sputter. Dang, that sounds horrible. Looks like the generator is trying to die on us. With all the clouds and overcast lately, we rely upon that generator to keep our solar system functioning. Sunshine has been in short supply lately. So a dead generator would be a serious problem. 

Getting out the owners manual, which of course we've never read, I give it a quick scan looking for info and read the entire, though very short, troubleshooting section. You talk about not being helpful. That troubleshooting page basically sad that if the generator isn't out of gas and something it wrong with it, take it to an authorize service center. What? Hey buddy, I'm out in the middle of the sticks! And besides, most authorized service centers for just about anything are located on Oahu, not here. 

Has anyone else noticed that nowadays owners manuals for most equipment are next to useless for repairs? They seem to be pages full of warnings and disclaimers now, just something to protect the manufacturer from lawsuits and stupid people from maiming themselves. 

Anyway, back to the ailing generator engine. Internet to the rescue. Hubby searched using the engine's symptoms and came up with the most likely causes and fixes. The problem ended up being the air filter. 

Looks ok, right?

Take it off the engine and flip it over, and egads! Looks like it smokes two packs of Camels a day!

New filter in place, and the engine purred like a happy kitten. We were in fact surprised to see the air filter fail so rapidly since the generator is practically new, but it goes to show that there has been a lot of volcanic activity lately. The poor air filter was almost totally clogged. Looks like this is something to put into our monthly checked list while the volcano is so active ...... clean the various air filters. 

What Lawnmowers Were Not Meant To Do

(Note: it's been raining here so I haven't been getting photos taken. I'll add them later once the sun returns.) 

First of all, I don't have a lawn. What little lawn I did have has been replaced with a garden area. And what other grass grows on the farm is allowed to grow tall then get cut for either livestock feed or mulch. So it seldom looks like a lawn. But I do use lawnmowers, just not on a lawn. 

I have a big riding mower that I use carefully to mow stretches of grass on other people's land. It is essentially harvesting mulching material, that is, grass clippings. Since I've had to repair it several times, I've become rather careful with it. It is a prima donna and only allowed to mow rock free, level, light grass. No stalks, branches, bumpy or rocky areas. 

My other mower is a self propelled gas mower, the type people use for their lawns. This baby is a workhorse. And I admit that I work it to death. One of these lasts me a year before its literally worn out. Other than oil changes, cleaning the air filter, and keeping the blade sharp, they don't break. They just get used so many hours that they wear out the engine. 

So if I'm not manicuring a lawn with it, exactly what does it do? Ok, time to cringe. 

... Mowing down weeds including stemmy, stalky stuff. 

... Chopping through underbrush including downed tree twigs

... Chopping up the pile of weeds I've pulled, turning them into fine material for composting

... Chopping up coarse plant material, again for composting. 

... Sucking up and chopping the debris that the weedwacker hacked down. 

... Reducing dried horse manure into fluffy material for compost. 

... Sucking up fallen tree leaves out of the driveway. 

These jobs are pretty hard on the mower, I agree. But I find a lawnmower to be dang handy to make compost and mulch. It's tons faster than hand cutting material, dragging it over to a shredder-grinder, feeding it through that machine, then forking it from under the machine as the job progresses. I've own and use both, and I can honestly say that the lawnmower is faster and easier.....and a lot cheaper. 

So when a mower dies, it gets thrown away, right? Wrong. I scavenge parts. I can repurpose pieces for other projects. By the time I'm done there isn't much to throw away. And any metal that's leftover goes into the recycle bin. 

ATV Repair

Equipment breaks. That's a fact of life. If I'm going to have farm equipment, i just have to accept that. Since my ATV gets used on the farm every day...yes every day.., it was bound to eventually break. But this little Honda Recon is one tough buggah. It's seldom out of action. 

So what happened? I was zipping down to the front field with a load of chicken feed when the gear shift pedal didn't seem to work right. It moved but nothing happened. Didn't change gears. The pedal seemed to be hitching, then it would again move a bit. Next try it completely slipped, then disengaged from the gear shift shaft. Dang. 

Getting off to take a closer look, I saw that I could physically get the shifting pedal back onto the shaft and shift gears as long as I physically held it in place. So the bolt holding it on must be loose, I thought. Getting the right socket wrench, I tried to tighten the bolt, but it didn't seem to want to grip. Possibly something  striped? Fearing that I'd ruin the gear shifter, which I know would be a major repair, I opted to take the ATV to the dealer. 

(Above, the offending gear shift pedal)

I'm usually a DIY kind of gal. But I've learned from the school of "you've really messed it up this time, sister" that when I'm over my head it may be wiser to seek somebody with more expertise. It turned out that I was indeed wise to take my own advice this time. A mechanic's inspection revealed not only a striped bolt but also damage to the teeth on the pedal. Luckily the gear shifting shaft did not also need replacing. 

(Close up shows the teeth inside the pedal connection to be worn away)

All told, it was a trip to Kona. Since it's a long drive, after dropping off the ATV I took the opportunity to stock up on supplies. To my surprise the ATV was fixed within the hour. Wow. That was service! I had planned on leaving it and returning in 2 weeks to retrieve it. But the people there know that I come a long way and were really super considerate, trying to get it done while I shopped. I couldn't be happier with the place. By the way, they deserve a plug......Kaiser Motorcycles, Kona, Hawaii. 

Fixed! New pedal is in place and works smoothly. 

Trailer Added to the Homestead

A new piece of equipment added to the list.....a used trailer. I've been looking for a trailer for a while, but everything so far has been more money than I wanted to spend or the wrong type of trailer. Since I wasn't in a hurry, I had the opportunity to be picky. 

The other day, well it actually was two weeks ago, I arrived at the community garden and started working along with one of the early arriving volunteers. While working, a mutual friend of ours drove by with a trailer in tow. The volunteer mentioned that our friend had the trailer for sale. Wow, really? I'll buy it! I know the trailer and it would be perfect. Instantly dropping everything, I ran to hop on the ATV and head up the road to the macnut farm where our friend worked. 

Farm gate already locked. Drats. Back to the garden to see if the volunteer had our friend's cellphone number. She was one step ahead of me, but the call didn't have a good signal. It was one of those "can you hear me now" kind of calls. So it was back to the macnut farm to figure out how to get in. 

Looking at the fence with its two strands of barbed wire atop it, I decided it wouldn't be such a good idea to try climbing over it. So I eyed up the gate. Hummm. Do-able. Yeah, I know I'm in my 60's, but I ain't a cripple yet. So I scaled the 6-7 foot metal gate and over I went, leaving the ATV outside. Hiking up to the barn I was surprised to see our friend coming down the hill on the 6 wheeler. Guess he was just as surprised to see me hoofing it up the driveway! 

Anyway, I successfully clinched the deal. I'm now the proud owner of a flatbed trailer. 

So what do I need a trailer for? Hubby asked that exact question. I would be able to transport a larger load of supplies, meaning less trips to Kona or Hilo. Plus if all my purchases fit in the truck bed, then I'd be able to stop by the recycle yard and load the trailer with composted mulch for the garden. I've often wanted to pick up 20' long lumber or pipe, or 16' hog panels, so with the trailer I could do that. Plus carting the big lawn tractor to a mowing job will now be easily do-able leaving plenty of room to bring home the grass clippings. Yes, I'll use the trailer. 

Riding Mower Repair

.....Mower deck belt replacement.....

When I was looking to buy a riding mower, several people told me that I had better learn to fix things myself or else plan on spending a lot of money at a repair shop. I took their first suggestion. I've only owned the mower one year but I've already replaced a spindle, mandrel pulley, changed oil and filters, repaired a tire, and generally kept things aligned and clean. Now the mower deck belt broke, so it's my next repair job. 

I had thought myself clever by buying a belt in advance when I had purchased the spindle. But alas, I was ignorant of the mower parts. What I purchased was the engine drive belt. I discovered my mistake when trying to install it on the mower deck. Drats, too short.,....something's wrong. An investigation quickly revealed my error. But hey, I might need that belt anyway and it's good to keep one on hand. So on my trip to Hilo I stopped at Sears and bought two mower deck belts, one for now and a reserve. Since I wasn't 100% sure of the part number, I opted to buy them at Sears. The price actually wasn't bad because I got to use my Sears points I had acquired when I originally bought the mower. 

(The right belt this time!)

Now to do the task....install the new belt. First of all, how does the belt go? No problem. Didn't even have to look at a manual. The diagram was right on the mower deck. I guess that's there for mower owners like me who haven't a clue.

 Looking back and forth between the diagram and the actual mower, it was really easy to figure it out. I didn't even have to drop the deck to get the belt into place. Just loop it around the various pulleys and belt keepers. The hardest part was getting up off the ground afterward. 

(Not a great photo but the space is really tight.) 

I opted not to go to the hassle of dropping the mower deck off of the tractor. Even though the space was right, I didn't have much of a problem treading the new belt into the appropriate spots. 

With the mower back in business I took the opportunity to get a bit of mowing done. The grass has been growing like crazy with all the rain lately, so the mowing had to go slowly. I actually went over the areas three times, bringing the deck a notch lower with each pass. Within two hours I had accumulated 4 jumbo piles of grass clippings. Quite a haul! Then it began raining. Sigh. 

The mower is back in the barn again awaiting another morning of no rain. And that might be days from now. I've got a couple more hours of mowing ahead of me just to catch up with the grass. But this will give me plenty of clippings for mulching, just what I desperately need down at the seed farm. 

ATV Flat Tire

Gotta flat! Actually, it's the second one since I've owned the ATV. Same tire. There's a lot of old bits of barbed wire on this land and tires seem to find them. Most of the that the tires pick up a piece of barbed wire, the barbs haven't penetrated far enough to cause a puncture. 

I used a little soapy water to find the leak. By inflating the tire then wetting it with soapy water, you can find the leak by looking for the bubbles. I thought at first that the old repair site might be leaking but it didn't take long to find the new leak. The bubbles were just churning out one after the other. Close inspection showed a tiny piece of metal, most likely a broken off barb tip from barbed wire. I couldn't grasp it to pull it out, so I pushed it through. Next I retrieved the tire repair kit from the workshop. 

This kit is easy to use. It must be since even I can do it successfully! Thread a patch onto the tool, push it through the hole (the  most difficult part of the job), rapidly jerk out the tool, and wallah.....fixed! 

In this photo, the patch is the brown spot between the two tire knobs. I ran the ATV around the driveway once to seat the patch and make sure it wasn't leaking. Then I trimmed off the excess after I took this photo. 

Learning to make basic repairs to equipment is important to a small homestead. By doing it myself, the equipment isn't out of service for very long. In this case, just 10 minutes. It also didn't cost me much. The kit was less than $5 and is good for three repairs. 

Work Gloves

Overtime I've formed my own likes and dislikes when it comes to gloves. I really don't mind my hands getting dirty. So I'm not quick to don a pair of gloves. But some tasks decidedly call for hand protection. 

For simple mucking around in the gardens, I'll use disposable latex exam gloves. You need to understand that I've used these hand hugging things all my career, so I'm used to them. I suppose they were difficult to get use to 40 years ago, but I don't recall. They are like a second, shed-able skin for me. Not a problem at all. I find them to be light, flexible, and they keep my hands clean. Yes they rip, but I'll just slip a second one right over the ripped one, giving the hand extra protection. Yes my hands sweat inside them. But as I said, I'm used to them. My brain doesn't give the sweat much notice. A plus is that they are cheap enough and easily available. I don't use them every day. Just when I need to keep muck off. 

For protection while working around brush, trees, or other nasties that are apt to cut up my hands, I really like those new flexible cloth reinforced gloves. Firm-Grip is the brand I lean toward. They fit comfortably with no awkward gaps between the fingers or floppy finger tips. Plus they velcro snugly at the wrist. If I get them muddied up, I'll just rinse them thoroughly while I'm still wearing them. Once clean, I take them off and dry them in the sun. They last a good time.....as long as I don't cut a hole in them while pruning things with a hand sickle. Ah those gloves have taken the cut for me, instead of my finger! Good gloves. 

I'm not fond of other gloves. Most gardening gives tend to bind my fingers, giving me poor flexibility. Before long my hands are aching afterward. Leather ones get stiff after getting muddy and wet, feeling uncomfortable. Most cloth gloves, in fact most gloves, just don't fit me all that well. And once they get wet, they fit even worse. 

I know other people tend to like gardening gloves, or waterproof ones, or leather ones. I suppose it's a personal preference thing. I'll stick with my exam gloves and Firm Grips. 

Eliminate The Lawn -- Making a Kitchen Garden

I decided that I'm tired of mowing the lawn around our house. We never use the lawn. We thought that  we'd sit out there on lawn chairs, but it's never happened. We also pictured eating at a picnic table, but that's never happened either. No one sees that lawn but us. And neither of us has an interest in it. So I've decided to limit the size of lawn around here. Ditch the lawn mowing and switch to weedwacking just a limited amount of grass here and there.

Now, what to do with the space. Being a farmer, first thing that popped into my head was to plant something. Sounds pretty good to me! 

First thing I did was remove the grass along the curvy stone wall and plant taro. Taro is edible and it will look nice in front of a rock wall. I only cleared a two foot wide strip as a starter, but I plan to get rid of the grass in the entire area eventually as I get more taro starts. 

My favorite sod remover, a 2 1/2 lb mattock.

Next I removed the sod from the area on the other side of the rock wall. Here I planted purple colored green beans. It's a bush variety, so no trellises needed. I also tucked in a few taro starts for aesthetic reasons. Eventually this area will host food plants that look ornamental (aka- pretty), such as colorful peppers, balcony tomatoes, tulsi, colorful chards. And eventually more of the sod will be removed. 

Now for the bigger lawn area. This is going to take more time. But I'm removing the sod and digging in some compost. I've already planted the dasheen starts that I had. Next to go in will be radishes. Then I'll start the kitchen garden. It's a perfect spot for it. 

What goes into a kitchen garden? Things that you want handy. I often find that running down to the main garden is too much trouble just to clip some parsley or a few bits of chives. So I'll plant them right outside my kitchen for easy use. Chives. Garlic chives. Parsley. Oregano. Basil. Sage. Thyme. Summer savory. Stick oregano. Leaf celery. Arugula. 

People who know me know that I don't waste anything. I'll recycle, re-use, re-purpose. So what about all that sod I just dug out? For right now it will sit in some trashcans and buckets until the grass is dead. Once everything is killed, the soil will go right back into the garden. Nothing lost, nothing wasted. 

My sod busting mattock is used so that the flat blade slices the sod just below the soil surface, cutting the roots. By keeping the blade sharp and clean, it is fairly easy to do. I find that standing with my feet somewhat apart and swinging the blade so that it slices the sod between my feet is the easiest on my back. I can cut sod for about 15 minutes before I need a few minute break. I'm really careful with this tool, but steel tipped shoes might be a good idea for someone a bit careless or who has a strong attachment to all their toes. 

Lawn Tractor -- New Equipment Acquisition

I finally broke down and expanded my equipment inventory. Another gasoline eating machine, a riding mower, or as I like to think of it, a lawn tractor. Tractor sounds so much more farmy than a mower. Hey, it's got a bar in the back with a hole in it, yes, I COULD hitch up something and pull it. Maybe there's no PTO, but pulling a little cart behind should count for something farmish. So there, that's settled. It's a tractor.   :)

Red tractor matches my truck, in the background. Posing with the first pile of grass clippings. 

Two factors joined forces to make me purchase it. I suffer from a severe shortage of time to get things done, plus I'm getting older, wearing myself out.

I mow grass basically to get mulch. Sure, it neatens up the property and improves the pastures after the livestock has eaten what they like. But mulch is number one. Therefore a grass catcher is mandatory. Mowing with a push mower takes up lots of time June thru December. It's great exercise, but I'm bushed after a whole afternoon of mowing. But it has its pluses - I sleep really good that night. No tossing and turning, more like a coma. Exercise has its merits, even if it is trying to kill me. My doctor tells me that regular exercise is good, it will make me younger. Well at the rate I exercise, I should be approaching 20 years old fairly soon. Won't be long before acne is once again a problem.    :)

So I picked up the mower, ahem....tractor. Friday afternoon was my first opportunity to try it out. Well, love at first ride! Took a bit of practice, but I quickly became a pro. And I haven't even hit a rock with it yet! Mowed for two hours and created 7 gigantic piles of clippings. Only 2 hours! Now this is heaven! See, I'm easy to impress, aren't I? I got much more mowed in those two hours than I would have with the push mower all afternoon. Yes, this critter is going to give me more time to use elsewhere. And I must be sick, because I really had fun mowing! 

Farm Gates

Simple swinging bar gate with center chain-lock.

People around here who live on a half acre or more tend to have their properties gated. Their land might be fenced, or have a stone wall, or just have the perimeter lined with trees or bushes. And if they live on raw lava, often just the driveway is blocked in some fashion. A simple chain and lock is common. Other times it's a length of fencing that is pulled aside to let a car pass. And then there are those of us who opt for a gate.

Wood facing on a metal gate. Solar powered opener. 

Why gate your driveway? Most obviously - keep cars and trucks out. But it also tells people that they shouldn't enter without permission. It's like the front door of your house. Knock but don't enter unless the door is opened for you. So even a simple rope cross a driveway is a reminder not to tresspass.

Gate made of  fencing with orange ribbons tied to it. 

Post and rail with board, set back from the road. 

A gate with close bars or with fencing on it is commonly used when the land has sheep that need confining. But such a gate is also used to keep something out....pigs. Feral pigs can destroy a garden or nursery in one night, so fencing and a proper gate is mandatory for protection against foraging pigs. 

Basic chain with lock. Kapu sign!

 I find it interesting to see the different ways people gate their driveways. Rope. Chain. Wooden gate. Metal gate. Plain. Fancy. Some people really get into having an individual style gate. Or some unique color. Makes giving directions a lot easier......."Go one mile and look for the red gate on the left."

Close mesh metal gate keeps pigs out. 

This one is designed to keep the sheep in. 

Wrought iron gate, jumbo style. Allows large commercial
trucks to pass through. 

Sturdy bar gate with chain lock around an ohia upright post.

And last of the photos, our gate here on our farm. We opted for sturdy metal to keep the neighbor's stray cows from destroying the garden for the umh-teenth time. Then we had problems with some feral pigs so we welded hog panel to the gate. Most recently the elderly farm dog started going under the gate, so we added plastic mesh to the bottom. To top it all off,  I choose yellow paint in order to be unique on the road. Very easy to give directions! 

Bright yellow metal gate with mesh. Locked of course. 

Very Useful Small Equipment

A friend came by and caught me on my ATV. 

On a small homestead farm, I have found that certain pieces of small equipment makes life not only easier, but makes my farming style successful. Without them I would not get the amount of work done that I need to. Not all my equipment needs gasoline to power them. Some are actually hand operated.

Now, by small I don't mean a small tractor. Although a small tractor or a skid steer would be quite useable, I see them as being too expensive for a small homestead farm. Unless I would find myself being suddenly wildly successful, I don't see how I could justify such an expense. I swore I would never, never allow myself to go into debt again, so big purchases are basically out. The only big purchase I have allowed myself has been a pickup truck. And that truck works hard and helps earn every penny I make!

I keep in mind that if I had a job that could be better done by a piece of big equipment, I could always hire the job out, or rent the equipment. Far cheaper than buying and maintaining an expensive piece of machinery.

So, what would you see on my homestead?

Rototiller. This is my main workhorse. Without it I could not do this farm. I actually have two. One for serious soil preparation, such as breaking new ground( a Troybilt). One lightweight one for cultivating and tilling established beds (a Mantis). The Mantis gets used practically every day.

Lawnmower. Not used on lawns! Ha. But it harvests clippings to use in making compost, feed chickens, or use as mulch. I don't have any lawns. But I have one mower modified so that it sits up higher, cutting vegetation at about 6-7 inches. I use this for cutting the pasture after the livestock has eaten it off. This helps keep weeds and unpalatable grasses from taking over. I have another mower that is a standard bagger. I mow along the street, my neighbors' grassy areas, and sometimes the grass in a local macnut farm. This gives me all the clippings that I need. I'm not fussy about my brand of lawnmower as long as it is a bagger and is self propelled.

Chainsaw. Very handy for cutting up fallen tree limbs and trees, making fence posts, making trellises. With 20 acres, there always seems to be a need for a chainsaw.

Chipper/shredder. Great for making compost and "soil". I also use it for making wood chips. I found that running reject macnuts through it makes great chicken food. What's leftover becomes garden mulch. The machine is an Mighty Mac, by MacKissic.

Weedwacker. Initially used to reclaim overgrown land, it is now used for maintenance. Mine is used every week. Without it, this farm would not be kept up. A very important tool around here. Using this I do not need to spray Round-up. Both my original and my current weedwackers are Shindawa.

Now, I also have an assortment of standard construction type tools, like a sawsall, chop saw, circular saw, drill, etc. Nothing fancy or complicated, but all quite useful.

Sugar cane press, hand operated. This processes my cane crop. It took a year's sales of cane juice to justify its purchase. But I believe it was worth it. Besides, it's fun!

Oil expeller, hand operated. I use this to produce my oils....macnut, kukui, sunflower. It paid for itself the first month I used it.

Macnut husker/cracker, hand operated. Very useful for processing macnuts. In one hour I can now do in what use to take me days. Since I can sell all my macnuts at a good price, it was easy to justify this purchase.

I use to have a large coffee roaster, but I couldn't justify it's cost. The sales just weren't there. So the roaster is history, for now at least.

ATV. I guess this should be included because its main job is on the farm. I get around on it. I haul rocks, soil, wood, and supplies with it. I only added an ATV two years ago. What a luxury! I now use it every day. The one I have is a Recon by Honda.

Pickup truck. A real necessity. It gets used not just for transportation, but also hauling a trailer, moving livestock, pulling rocks and logs, tightening fence. My current one is a Ford 150 4 x 4 with a towing package and off road plates underneath.

Trailer. I don't own one yet, but it's in my future. Right now I borrow a trailer when I need one. But that's getting "old". Tis about time I consider getting my own trailer.