Farmer says: Waste not, want not

Old street sweeper brushes are handy scratching posts for livestock!  This horse seems to be enjoying it, but it works just as well for cattle or pigs.This conveyor belting is used to protect the planter from the damage that might be done by old corn and sunflower stalks.  The farmer runs a no-till operation, which conserves soil moisture and prevents erosion, so disking the field to prevent this damage is counter-productive.View the list »
You always need rope around a farm.  This is repurposed climbing rope.  No longer strong enough for supreme safety, but strong enough to hold things together.

Organic Lifestyle newsletter

Some of you may think that sustainable agriculture is a key way we express our concern for the planet, and you’d be right. We all want to leave the world a better place for our children. This idea needn’t be attached to any particular ideology, though some misguided people claim it. However, my over-riding concern is that agricultural sustainability lead to economic sustainability. For farmers, this is a particular concern.

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Farming is a risky business, and, make no mistake, farmers are the best businessmen I know. Farmers are subject to the whims of nature, drought and disease, insects and excess moisture. Or, if you’re a farmer, and you do your job too well, you may get penalized with falling crop prices, driven by supply and demand.

Farmers have historically responded to these challenges by wasting absolutely nothing. By repurposing items, they now have a more modern way to express this inclination. Repurposing means reusing items in their original form, without energy-intensive recycling. Recycling reduces to raw materials, and manufactures into something different.

repurposedMaterials is a company that offers economical solutions for various items that are useful around a farm. Read on for more…

View the list
  • You always need rope around a farm.  This is repurposed climbing rope.  No longer strong enough for supreme safety, but strong enough to hold things together.
  • This conveyor belting is used to protect the planter from the damage that might be done by old corn and sunflower stalks.  The farmer runs a no-till operation, which conserves soil moisture and prevents erosion, so disking the field to prevent this damage is counter-productive.
  • Old street sweeper brushes are handy scratching posts for livestock!  This horse seems to be enjoying it, but it works just as well for cattle or pigs.
View the list

, Cincinnati Sustainable Agriculture Examiner

Food geek, flannel nerd, and accomplished cook, Norbert O'Hare is a horticulturist by profession, a caretaker by nature, and a writer by choice. Contact him at Nrbrto6@aol.com.

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