The holidays are over, it’s time to get back to work.

I know I’ve mentioned before that I really enjoy designing modifications.  It  feels great seeing them in place and hearing back from the client that the modifications are working.  Thursday morning, I received a phone call from a former client, wishing me a happy new year and telling me what a difference the hand-control clutches and additional steps for his tractors have made in his life.  He made a similar call a year ago.  This was only one of the high points in my day.

I trekked through the snow to the Northeast Kingdom to deliver two sets of steps to a client for his narrow, small pit parlor.  This gentleman is recovering from knee surgery; as a result of my farm assessment, 2 of the recommendations were for the parlor.  The two sets of  “steps” that he had in his parlor were concrete blocks.  The steps closest to the milking parlor were especially dangerous; he hung onto an upright pole and swung around it and down into the pit, landing ‘just so’ on the top concrete block, a 17″ drop from the top of the pit.  The porous concrete never dried out and was often slippery.   An accident waiting to happen.  The farmer didn’t have a local fabricator, so I worked with the fabricator in my area to get them made.

I think these steps are as practical and functional as can be. Each set of steps needs just 2 holes drilled in the concrete.  Place the anchors, attach the nuts, and voila, they’re in. I designed them with adjustable feet to accommodate any irregularities in the floor.   In not much more than an hours’ time, the safe replacement steps were in place.   This pit is only 4′ 9″wide, so the treads could not be as deep as I’d like, but their open design allows plenty of foot room.  The main steps were able to be 24″ wide; the steps at the other end of the pit could only be 18″ wide to allow movement around them.

This farmer will also be putting parlor mats down to cover the whole parlor floor (my second recommendation for the parlor).  They have been delivered; he was waiting to get the steps in, and was planning on placing the mats today. These 1′x1″ flexible tiles each have 289 shock-absorbing, flexible legs underneath.  These provide significant cushioning, making it more comfortable to stand for hours while milking, much easier on his joints.  They also insulate him from the cold floor.  The legs also allow any solids to be rinsed away easily. Their non-slip surface  is another positive attribute.

These affordable modifications will make a huge difference in this farmers’ work life; safer and more comfortable working conditions.  I really enjoyed this day!

The Vermont Rebates for Roll Bars Program is able to offer rebates due to the generous donations made to the ROPS Retrofit Fund from individuals and organizations across Vermont, with the lead sponsor being Co-Operative Insurance Company. Those interested in donating can make checks out to the ROPS Retrofit Fund and send them to UVM Extension, 29 Sunset Drive, Morrisville, VT 05661. 100% of the donations go to Vermont tractor owners. For more information, call Matt Myers, ROPS Program Coordinator at 802-888-4972 x404.

I know there are a lot of older tractors around Vermont without Roll Over Protective Structures. Now is the time to correct the situation, protecting yourself and your whole family.

Vermont’s Youth Deer Weekend is November 5-6 this year, the weekend before rifle season.  Anyone 15 years-old or younger who has successfully completed a hunter safety course and purchased the required license can get a free youth deer hunting tag.

Vermont’s Rifle Season begins on November 12 and ends on November 27.  One legal buck with at least one antler having two or more points may be taken.

Vermont’s Muzzleloader season is December 3 through 11. With the muzzleloader tag, one legal buck may be taken with at least one antler having two or more points. In addition to a legal buck, a muzzleloader hunter who received an antlerless permit (through a lottery system) may take an antlerless deer in the Wildlife Management Unit indicated on the permit.

I am not a hunter, so I have been dishing about on the web, looking for information on hunter safety. According to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website, hunting is safe and getting safer.  Hunting accidents have decreased 86% since hunter education began in Vermont in 1958.  Do all you can to prevent accidents.

Of all the New England States, just Vermont and our ‘Live Free or Die’ neighbor, New Hampshire, do NOT require hunters to wear Hunter Orange.  Wearing Hunter Orange is strongly recommended. You also need to dress for the weather, knowing that there will be lengths of time that you will be active as well as periods of time that you will be inactive.

Preserve your hearing.  Gun shots are often in the 120 to 160 decibel level, and think about it; that gun is very close to your ear.  Anything above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss.  Invest in a pair of sporting and shooting ear muffs; they allow you to hear lower decibel sounds and protect your ears from the higher decibel levels of the gun blast.

Here are some of the hunter safety tips I’ve gleaned from the web:

• Be sure of your target before you put your finger on the trigger.  Never take these kinds of shots:
  • At running game, when there is little opportunity to check your zone of fire and you are very unlikely to make a clean kill anyway.
  • At “skylined” animals that are standing on or moving over a hill where you have no way of knowing what lies beyond your target.
  • At targets when the angle of a missed shot would cause your bullet to travel its maximum trajectory and possibly injure others.
  • At game that is clearly out of range.
  • When objects in the foreground of your target could deflect your bullet.
  • At game that another hunter is shooting at.
  • When your bullet is apt to ricochet off flat or hard surfaces such as rocks, water, or trees.
• Do not consume alcohol or drugs while hunting.
  • Do not hunt with anyone that has been consuming alcohol or drugs.
  • Alcohol affects your body’s mental and physical abilities and impairs your sense of judgement. It also increases your risk of exposure while in the outdoors.

   

• Never cross a fence, ride a 4-wheeler or climb a tree with a loaded rifle.
• Be careful while dragging out your deer.  Every year hunters die of heart attacks as a result of overexertion.  Get help if needed, go slow and take rest breaks.
• If you are hunting alone, tell someone where you are hunting and when you expect to be back.  Carry a cell phone.
• Never carry a loaded rifle in your truck or car.

Okay, here’s a challenge to all you hunters.  Comment back with safety rules I didn’t mention; you’ll be making the woods safer for yourself and all hunters.

My son, Andy, and his friends Corey and Nathan recently rebuilt the tractor that had belonged to Corey’s dad.  In order to really appreciate this story, you need to know the background.  Corey and Nathan are cousins; their fathers were brothers and both died tragically when their sons were young.  Corey’s family had a house fire when Corey was 7.  Corey’s dad went back inside to get Corey, not realizing that Corey was already outside.  He didn’t make it back out of the fire.  Nathan was a teen when his dad was killed; a tire he was working on exploded.  The cousins live a couple of states apart, but are very close.

Corey hadn’t seen the Allis Chalmers 190 run in 30+ years.  Corey brought the tractor to Vermont from Massachusetts and the boys spent a weekend taking it apart in our shop, working 2 very long days.  It needed a complete motor job.  The crankshaft was sent out for repairs; the boys (I know, they really are men!) did all the rest themselves.  Two weekends ago, they spent 2 very long days rebuilding the tractor.  In the top row of pictures above, the motor is back together and they are starting to put the tractor back together.  The second picture shows the front end on and the motor back in. Notice the seat on the tractor! (Click on the photo to enlarge.)

When they were ready to give it a try, I was called to video the event.  On the second crank, she started up.  Through the camera lens I could see tears streaming down Corey’s cheeks.  I looked over and Nate was in tears as well.  For several hours afterwards, the tractor went for many short rides, slight adjustments and test drives.  Corey was over-the-moon!

The seat on the tractor wasn’t much more than a frame.  We contacted K & M Manufacturing; they had several seat styles available for this tractor. The last picture shows the new seat in place.  K & M Manufacturing offers a wide variety of replacement seats and steps for many brands of tractors. Their steps are better than the steps that came with the tractors; great handrails to go with the steps too. Can’t find what you need online? Call their 800-number; the staff is very knowledgeable and probably has a solution.  In less than a week the seat arrived and was easily installed before the tractor’s debut.

Last weekend, Corey returned to Vermont with his family.  The picture shows Corey, his wife Michelle and their daughter, Lily on the tractor.  Safe to have a driver and 2 riders? NO.  ROPS (Roll Over Protective Structure) on this tractor? NO.  Yes, there is a lot wrong with this picture.  I did have a couple of discussions with Corey and family about the safety issues, but they would not be dissuaded from riding together on the tractor.

Vermont has many older model tractors, tractors without roll bars, in use today. We are fortunate to have the Rebates for Roll Bars program. The program offers farmers a rebate of 70% (up to $765.) of the cost for roll bar kits to retrofit tractors without roll bars.  The toll-free hotline assists farmers in finding the right roll bar for their tractor.  ROPS (a roll bar and a seat belt) are 99% effective in preventing rollover deaths and serious injuries.

Whether the crop is deemed a complete loss or a partial loss, work will need to be done on those fields.  Some may be chopped for feed, while much will need to be turned under.  Any field work will likely kick up unusually high amounts of dust.  Consider this dust contaminated; I can’t imagine there was any farm field flooding in VT that did not contain septic waste or agricultural animal waste at the least, and may have contained chemical or fuel waste.  Besides the possible contaminants, the particulate matter of dust can cause physical irritation of the lungs and trigger asthmatic or other sensitivity reactions.  A farmer I talked with spoke of a neighboring farmer that had chopped silty corn after a previous, much less severe flood; this farmer did not wear any respiratory protection and suffered flu-like symptoms for a month after chopping the corn and still has compromised lung function.

Please protect yourself by wearing a dust mask, N-95 or higher.  Most cabs on tractors do not have an adequate air filtration system; you need to wear a respirator (dust mask).  A good seal needs to be created between the respirator and the wearer’s skin.   Sorry, but if you have a beard or mustache, these need to be shaved to get a good seal (you’ll still have time for the beard to regrow before hunting season!).   The VT Department of Health has made free respirators available to all district health offices .  If you do not live close to a district health office I recommend you contact your town health officer; ask them to get a supply of the free respirators for you.

It is recommended that the respirator be changed every 4 to 6 hours, sooner if it becomes difficult to breathe through.  If, after changing to a new respirator, you continue to experience breathing difficulties, stop, get to a dust-free environment and seek medical assistance, letting them know that you have been working in a post-flooding area.

Please be careful in all aspects of this clean-up and protect your lungs to avoid possible long-term lung problems.  If you haven’t yet visited the UVM Extension website, you need to – it contains the most extensive listing of post-Irene recovery information and resources I’ve seen anywhere.  There is a lot of help available, I don’t want you to miss out on any possibilities for assistance.

Saturday, I kept looking at the beautiful sunny sky, knowing Hurricane Irene was on her way.  It was such an odd feeling; here is this perfect Vermont day, it seemed unbelievable we were in the path of a hurricane that was mere hours away.

It is heartbreaking to see the damage that Hurricane Irene has caused.  I can’t imagine how much worse it would have been had she not lost strength before reaching Vermont.  The ripped out bridges and roads from the heavy rains and flooding left 13 towns without access.  Last night that number was down to 12.  Especially hard hit was the Rochester area.  Liberty Hill Farm’s road was taken out by the White River, as were the bridges and roads into and out of town.  The river also washed away the town’s electric substation.  Power has been out since 3PM Sunday.  It may be weeks before the power is restored.

I have not spoken to the Kennetts, cell phone coverage is very spotty in the area.  I have spoken to their milk coop representative; I know physically the whole family is fine.  I expect the crops on that once lush river bottomland are gone.  Their livelihoods are halted; most farms have generators, I hope the Kennetts do so they can continue to feed and milk the cows.  There is no way to get the milk off the farm, so it will need to be dumped, but the cows must be fed and milked to keep them healthy.  This is another huge economic challenge for the Kennetts and many other Vermont dairies to overcome.

FEMA trucks started arriving yesterday, the VT National Guard is helping, as well as innumerable volunteers. The University of Vermont Extension website has a listing of many  hurricane recovery resources to access.

We Vermonters are a hardy bunch, but this is the worst flooding in nearly 100 years.  There was no way to prepare for or prevent the devastation.  Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

The 4-Hers and their animals arrived at the fairgrounds on Sunday, August 14, in preparation for the Monday show. It’s a busy day, first step is checking animals in; making sure all paperwork is in order and the animals pass the veterinarian’s inspection. The participants settle their animals into the stalls; bedding, feeding and supplying water. There are show boxes to move in, tents to set up, friends to greet, not to forget that there are animals to wash, do a final clip on, practice showmanship with and provide continuous care for.

Wendy Sorrell, University of Vermont Extension’s 4-H State Livestock Educator, arranged for the 4-Hers to have an additional educational event on Sunday. Derek Shepardson of the VT Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety, Louise Waterman, Education Coordinator of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and myself, Outreach Specialist of VT AgrAbility Project, University of Vermont Extension worked with 69 4-Hers, in small groups throughout the day.

Derek led each group through fire basics, the types of fire extinguishers, their maintenance and proper use in putting out fires. I am a member of the Vermont Barn Fire Prevention Task Force; I went through a folder filled with a variety of materials that the Task Force has developed in both English and Spanish. Each participant was provided a folder to take home and go over with their families. The group then was given the opportunity to experience using a fire extinguisher correctly. There were both a “Hot Box” trailer from the VT Division of Fire Safety and a BullEx Training System from the VT Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets for the 4-Hers to experience. These units provide fire from an LP gas source, but are able to mimic class A, B and C fires at various levels of difficulty. The units sense where the trainee is aiming and sweeping, adjusting the flame accordingly. The fire extinguishers used in the training are filled with water and compressed air and are easily refilled on-site to give numerous trainees the experience of using a fire extinguisher. None of the participants had used a fire extinguisher before the training; this hands-on training in a safe, controlled environment is an invaluable life experience.

His wife noticed the tractor was stopped in the field, couldn’t see her husband, and went out to investigate.  She was unable to get him up; fortunately, the person that was buying the hay pulled into the field with a wagon at that time, and between the two of them, they were able to get the farmer up off the ground.  Luckily, the farmer was only bruised, not seriously injured.

No commercial steps are available for this tractor.  It had just one step between the ground and the platform; the step was 20″ from the ground, and 19″ from the platform of the tractor.  The only available hand-hold was on the fender of the tractor, on the farmer’s right side.  Due to a previous injury and a non-successful surgical repair, the farmer had very limited range-of-motion in his right arm, unable to raise his arm to shoulder height.  He was unable to use the hand-hold.  This farmer is not a tall man; the 20″ and 19″ steps required to get on the tractor were just too difficult to use, even if he didn’t have knee problems.

I took many measurements and drawings of the tractor; I don’t like to make any additional holes if I don’t have to; you can see where the fuel tank is; best to not drill into that!!  Luckily there are two accessible tapped holes I can use for attachment.  I went back to the office with all of this information and designed the modifications.  This farmer, with the help of Susan Brouillette, RAVR Counselor Assistant, had received a set of steps and handrail for his Farmall 806 .  The additional 4th step had been ordered, but the farmer felt he didn’t need the 4th step.  Not wanting to waste this step, I was able to include it in the modifications of the Massey.  I determined that the existing step on the tractor needed to be built out about 2″, and spacers added to accommodate the slightly wider 4th step.  These would then bolt on to the existing step to create a lower first step, about 11 inches from the ground.  Four holes needed to be drilled in the existing step to attach this.  I then designed an additional step to attach to the existing tapped holes as well as a grab-bar to attach with existing screws holding the sheet metal to the tractor.  I took the plans to the fabricator, talked them over with him and got a price quote.  RAVR approved the funding of the modifications; Friday they were attached to the tractor.  The farmer was very pleased, he was able to use the hand-hold with his left arm and safely climb up and down the steps that are now a safe distance, about 9″ apart.

The Massey Ferguson 1080 is one of the many older tractors that are prevalent in Vermont.  It has no roll bar; I explained the Vermont Rebates for Rollbars program and gave him information for accessing the program.

Here is the Massey Ferguson 1080 with the modifications installed.  I do have an interesting, great job!

I hope you take the time to kick back and relax a little while you have a chance.  This doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, nor take a lot of time, but the rewards of getting away are great.  Last week I took a couple of vacation days; my sister was camping at Little River State Park and I joined her.   After the floods of 1927 and 1934, Little River was dammed up to create Waterbury Reservoir, the ninth-largest body of water in Vermont.  There are two state parks on Waterbury Reservoir, Little River (camping only, no day-use) and Waterbury Center.  My sister and I each have kayaks; we spent a lot of time kayaking (after slathering with sunscreen, and wearing wide-brimmed hats).  When we got too warm we pulled to shore and dove in to cool off.  The second day was beastly hot.  We packed a lunch, filled our water bottles, put on our sunscreen and hats and went river-walking.  If you’ve never heard of it, or never done it, river walking is great fun and very refreshing on a hot day.

River walking requires no special equipment.  My footwear depends on the river; if the bottom is sandy, I wear sneakers and socks.  If the bottom is more gravelly, I wear waterproof sandals.  We have a bunch of old ski poles in the attic of the garage; I use a pair of those for stability as well as checking out how deep pools are, so I can choose to step in or not.  It’s great exercise, the views from the rivers are great, and often you are under tree cover, protected from the heat of the sun.  It’s a good idea to toss bug dope in your pack as well; sometimes it’s necessary.

Vermont has a lot of State Parks, there’s sure to be one in your area.  You can camp, hike, bike, explore nature, swim, go boating, fish, or just sit and enjoy.   State Parks are not free, there is a nominal charge.  If you are age 62 and up or are permanently disabled due to military service, you qualify for a Green Mountain Passport.  Visit your Town Clerk’s Office, and for $2. your Green Mountain Passport gives you free day entry into all VT State Parks and VT Historic Sites for life.  It’s a great deal, you’ve earned it, get it and use it!

If you’ve had enough of the outdoors and want to be inside, or if the weather is poor, there are many interesting  museums as well as the historic sites. You may just want to take a ride and enjoy our beautiful state.  You can do it by car, or one of the trains or boats available.  Call your neighbor and invite them along as well.  You’ll be pleasantly energized by taking a few hours away and doing something enjoyable for yourself and family.