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DIY Nursery Equipment
Jenella Hodel, Seed Nursery Crew Leader
Penny Wagner, Seed Nursery Coordinator
A Little Democracy
• Debearder
• Sweep Harvester
• Gleaner combine off-loading
• Seed dryer
• Seed drying racks
Metroparks of the Toledo Area
• Located primarily in Lucas, also Wood and Fulton
Counties
• 11,000+ acres
• Funding
– 1.4 mill, 10 year property tax levy for operations
– 0.3 mill, 10 year property tax levy for acquisitions
– Grants, grants, and more grants
• 2.8 million visitors in 2013
• Staff
– 100+ permanent
– 80+ seasonal employees
Oak Openings Region at time
of European Settlement
Oak Openings Region Today:
<3% of savannas, prairies &
barrens remain
Oak Openings Region
1/3 of Ohio’s rare plants & animals species
Globally Rare Habitats
Midwest Sand Barren (G2G3)
Twigrush Wet Prairie (G2?)
Black Oak / Lupine Barren (G3)
Mesic Sand
Pin Oak / Swamp White Oak
Tallgrass Prairie (G2)
Sand Flatwoods (G2?)
Faber-Langendoen, 2001
Natural Resources Division 2013
Blue Creek Seed Nursery
• Established in 2003
• 55 species in production
YEAR
2003
2005
2006
SPRING NEW INSTALLATION ACRES
33
3
SPRING INTERSEEDING ACRES
SPRING SPOT SEEDED UNITS
FALL NEW INSTALLATION ACRES
FALL INTERSEEDING ACRES
FALL SPOT SEEDED UNITS
6
13
3
3
5
10
2004
2007
17
2008
12
2009
28
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
14
15
1.4
43.7
47.4
28
15
26
4.4
19
45
9
15
43.4
26
Blue Creek Seed Nursery
OR
DIY
Thank You
• Metroparks Construction & Mill Crews
– Dutch Baumgartner
– Laird Henderson
– Tyler Lehman
– Kyle Robison
– Jimmy Shaw
• Natural Resources Staff & Volunteers
• Proximity to “yellow tag”
Debearder
Debearder
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Large volume of little bluestem needed
Plant agricultural fields by seed drill
Establish monoculture propagation field
Volume of commercial models too large
~$600
Debearder Construction
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Tube
– Vendor hired to fabricate to provided specs
– Welded ends on tube
Handle fabricated at Ludwig Mill
Feeder fits to hammermill
Debearder Construction
Auger
• One piece paddles with hole drilled in center
• Tack welds during configuration
• Some paddles twisted (various wavy)
• Size and spacing
Debearder Construction
Chute
• Open while not connected to hammer mill
• Closed while connected
Debearder Construction
• Motor
– Single phase
– 1 HP
• Pulley/belt
Debearder Construction
• Base
– Angle iron
– Casters
Paddle Configuration – trial & error
Stationary/fixed paddles
– Spaced in tube & chute
– Clogs
Density
– More is better?
Shape
– Flat – more movement?
– Wavy – more friction?
Operation
– Hammermill feed
– Run first batch and last batch twice
– Dust collection
“Schematic” & Shopping List
• Single phase, 1HP farm
duty motor, with switch
• Belt & pulley
• Steel tube, halved
lengthwise
• Door handle
• Wing nuts
• Sheet metal
• Spring/turnbuckle
• Chute handle, hinges
• Steel shaft with paddles
• Angle iron and casters
Sweep Harvester
• Purchased smaller, pull-behind model
• Primarily for little bluestem
Sweep Harvester Construction
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Need for larger, more adjustable harvester
Easier off-loading
Fit TS6.120
~$3500
Sweep Harvester Construction
• Housing, vented hopper
Construction
• Brush
– Street sweeper vendors
– Untrimmed, unassembled
– Toothed brush?
Construction
• Trap door
– Hydraulic driven lever
• Cart
– Square tubing with casters
– Move around shop without tractor
Construction
• Paint job
– To paint or not to paint in park colors
• Hydraulics
– Dedicated pump?
– T vs valve
“Schematic”
Sweep Harvester Shopping List
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Sheet metal
Square steel tubing & angle-iron
Casters
Wire mesh
Hydraulic cylinders, hoses, Ts, quick-connects
Belt and pulleys
Turnbuckles and cables
Street sweeper brushes
Steel rod, bearings
Small square steel tubing
Tractor loader brackets
Gleaner F3 Off-loading
• Trial and Error Time
– Auger arm
– Bagging in hopper
Gleaner F3 Off-loading
Gleaner F3 Off-loading
Gleaner F3 Deconstruction
Gleaner F3 Deconstruction
Off-loading Construction
Off-loading Construction
Chute Top
Done!
Set-Up
Video
Combine Mods Shopping List
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Square steel tubing
¾” plywood
Sheet metal
Hinge/pin
RTV silicone
Sheet metal screws
Angle iron
Seed Dryer
Seed Dryer
Dryer Construction
Dryer Construction
Dryer Shopping List
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Furnace blower
2x4s
Duct sections
Round duct connections
Perforated tiles
End caps
Speed switch
Drying Racks
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For smaller lots
Easy to unload
Critter-deterrent
Mobile
Drying Racks
Construction
Construction
Construction
Drying Racks Shopping List
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PVC
Grommets
Sheet metal screws
Upholstery underlining or landscape fabric
Conduit hooks
Foundling shelving
Casters
Thank You, Crew!
The preceding presentation was delivered at the
2015 National Native Seed Conference
Santa Fe, New Mexico April 13-16, 2015
This and additional presentations available at
http://nativeseed.info