Multi-Row Bed Cultivator

[Kevin Cunningham]

We will be using the All-in-One this fall when we plant the winter gardens. Our spring and summer plantings are already in at tractor spacings. And I plan to do a “mini” bed system similar to what Erika was talking about. We will put 2-3 rows with enough path spacing to walk the steers either as a team or single, for cultivation. I recently acquired an old Planet Jr walk behind seeder, that I think will make a perfect match to the All-in-One. It has two seed boxes and is controlled with handles in a similar orientation to the All-in-One. One advantage I can see with the steers is that I can make a yoke of any length and spacing to fit the rows. In fact I think I have seen pictures or diagrams of cultivating yokes that have a large spacing between the the animals. I’ll post some pictures when we get it all together.

[dominiquer60]

Here are a few photos.

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[Stephen Leslie]

Erika—-is this the Slack Hollow Farm cart? Is it pulled by two horses spread wide?
Kevin—I would hugely appreciate a report and pictures from you down the road—once you’ve had a chance to try out the All-In-One with the oxen!

[JayChase]

I use my Pioneer Homesteader with the hiller and cultivator attachment to accomplish the same task as pictured above.
Jay

[KMichelle]

Seeing that forecart gives me more hope that I could fabricate, or rather- have someone else fabricate, a similar machine but with a front or belly mounted tool bar for precision cultivation. I think the key is, like Jay mentioned with the high-wheeled homesteader, having high enough clearance to cultivate veggies at all stages. And I definitely want to learn more about the dynamics of offset draft, that seems like the trick for a tool like this being efficient for use with one horse.

I realize that for most people that the 36″ spacing works really well, but the farm I am at now as a pretty similar soil structure to my site in VT and we don’t use any intensive amendments and fairly average cover cropping techniques. I have also really enjoyed receiving the Nordell’s manual for their layout and have gleaned tons of valuable info from them, but they do explicitly state how their management system is based off having extensive tillable land-base, which is the exact opposite of what I have.

Also have not received an email back from Peiffer Center, how long is appropriate to wait to try them again? They only lead I have is to their general email, is there one that is better then that? I feel like Mac Mead is a key fabricator who would have ideas about this design if he doesn’t have his own tool.

Also, Kevin – I can’t believe you’re right on the 36 and I spent much of my last two falls and winters living in Shively and Manila. Too bad I wasn’t spending enough time on here to find out about your place. Although most of the time I spent in CA I was 100ft up in a redwood named Artemis…

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by KMichelle.

[Kevin Cunningham]

It is a small world indeed. I have lived in both Shively and Manila. I miss the eight feet of silt loam in Shively. If you get back to CA we are behind the new Carlotta fire station river side of the road. I am fairly new to draft three and a half years into training a team of oxen but I am constantly learning more. Can’t wait to get the all in one all of our potatoes and other storage crops are at 36 in spacing so hopefully we can use the bulls to cultivate and hill this year.

[dominiquer60]

Yes this is the Slack Hollow Cart, it has changed hands several times and now resides at Little Seed Farm in Chatham, NY. The hydraulics don’t work at the moment, so Willy just uses it as a forecart.

[Jelmer]

Interesting to see the pictures of the cart. It reminded me of a cart made for hoeing/scufling I once saw in Germany. A bio dynamic farmer used this, I´m not sure if he still does.
See 3 added pictures. The soil is very “heavy” river clay, the crop is lamb´s lettuce.

Michelle, I thought the Miller´s riding cultivator might be something you´ed be interested in. It is designed for crops like corn, but could be used for other crops. Miller´s Repair Shop from Lagrange Nothern Indiana makes them (other pictures)
They make them as 3 wheeler or as 4 wheelers, for in the bed system. The front wheels can be steered with your feet and the back wheel(s) follow. Instead of the back wheel(s) a roll can be placed to prepare a seed bed.
Miller can build the wheel width to your bedsystem, and the eveners that go with that. Also rubber tires are avaible.
I´ve been in their shop and worked with a 3 wheeler in pumpkins and liked how the machine worked.

Another option is to see in France, the link will show a blog made by people who work with draft animal power there. Posted on May 15 is a new on farm built cultivar for the bed system.
There´s more interesting things on that blog.

Jelmer.

French blog about draft animal power

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Jelmer.

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[KMichelle]

OH OH, that’s what I’m thinking. Thanks Jelmer! I am so relieved that I don’t have to come up with this myself! Haha… At the very least I definitely will be ordering their catalog, I wonder if you can get it on a telescoping frame??

Also an interesting setup for the biodynamic farm, that was sort of what I had in my imagination. A fella who I apprenticed with at the Mader’s was from Germany. It seems like it will be worth my while sometime to visit out there.

And on a weirder note, I was supposed to be having a CRAFT visit at Willy’s Little Seed Farm, but long story short, he has cleverly disguised his actual location from Google… Hoping to see his Randall cattle.

[Jelmer]

You´re welcome Michelle! Good to read it might work for you.

Millers has sold quite a few of these cultivators. Maybe Miller has experiences with a telescoping frame. I have seen that they do make changes to machines for customers needs. You could ask him.
With a raised bed the clearance between crop and frame get less due to the wheels that are in a track and the raised soil i between the wheels. So that might mean the machine could touch and/or damage the crops earlier than when no raised bed. I´m not sure what the clearance is on a standard Miller´s riding cultivator. I think it would be a thing to concern.

Germany is nice and has quite somethings going on concerning farming with horses. The Pferde Stark event a nice event to visit. It is like Europe´s version of the DAPnet´s Field Day or the Horse Progress Days. The next one is in 2015. http://www.pferdestark.org

As for the Little Seeds Farm, I think you might mean the farm of Willy Denner? Last year I worked in that area. http://www.littleseedgardens.com

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Jelmer.

[KMichelle]

I should clarify that we are not actually using raised beds, but just 3 rows planted to a 5′ bed. I got their(Miller) newsletter and pricing today and I am thinking that yes, I do want to know more info on the specs of the machine. Such as belly bar height…

Jelmer you mention having used one of these before… How easy did you find the hand lever for raising the cultivator bar? How many horses did you use? Do you know of any farms even remotely close to MA that use one? … Although Miller may be able to answer that more completely.

HAHA, also you’ll notice on the website that it only lists their PO Box… It’s OK, I was able to make connections through the CRAFT email list. http://www.craftfarmapprentice.com/

[Jelmer]

Good you found the real adress, I missread that part.

The Millers works with or without raised beds.There´s an adjustable spring that helps lift the cultivator bar.
When I worked with the machine there where 3 horses pulling. And I´ve seen a model of 11 feet wide which used 5 horses.

At Millers they would know if there is a riding cultivator of theirs near MA. Every year they are present at the Horse Progress Days.

Best,

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