10—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 6,1981
E
Solar Energy on the Farm?
What’s all the fuss and furor over
the idea of harnessing the energy
of the sun? You would almost think
that the use of solar power is
something new. Like Lai’ Abner,
“any fool can plainly see” that it is
wanner on the sunny side of the
barn, and that a fair skin will burn
if exposed too long on asu ny day.
The power and energy assessed
by the sun was recognized in the
first chapter of Genesis, when
“God made the great light to rule
over the day”. And the writer of
Ecclesiastics who said “There is
no new thing under the Sun”.
There’s no doubt that the
ultimate source of most of the
Earth’s energy is from the sun.
Wind, water, wood - even coal, gas
and oil are the storehouse for
SILAGE AND FEED CARTS
ji
34" Wide, 62” Long.
S 3" high, capacity (to
feed 35 to 40 Cows.)
16” Ball Bearing
wheels
For very easy handling
MANY OTHER SIZES AVAILABLE
We Also Manufacture Swivel Casters for
16", 12” and 10" wheels
MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED BY
SCENIC ROAD FARM SUPPLY
3539 Scenic Road Gordonville, Pa. 17529
2Vi Mi Southwest of New Holland,
IV4 Mi. N. of Intercourse
-AUTHORIZED DEALERS
AARONS. GROFF ft SON
RD«3, Ephrata, PA
17522
PH: (717) 354-4631
ATLEE F. RERERT
RD2 Littlestown, PA
17057
PH. (717) 359-5863
IRVIN J. PEACHEY
Star Route, Box 35
Belleville, PA 17004
PH (717)483-6714
LAPP SHARPENING
SERVICE
Gibble Road,
Route 2, Box 276
Myerstown, Pa 17067
LAPP'S HARDWARE A DAIRY SUPPLIES
Box 96, Loopßd., RD4
Quarryville, PA 17566
Tbe
Dairy
Business
By
Newton Bair
energy flowing directly from the
sun for millions of years. Life on
Earth probably could not exist
without “the light that rules the
day”. Here endeth the sermon.
Agriculture is the prime user of
solar energy. The miracle of
photosynthesis in all green plants
uses sun power directly to convert
simple compounds like water
(H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2),
oxygen (O 2), and nitrogen (N)
which are components of the air we
breathe, and a few simpia mineral
elements from the earth into
complex goodies that make up our
food and feed supply. No sun - no
corn, no hay, no peanuts. No
nothing!
But now, we are looking at new
ways to harness this energy. Here
28” wide, 60” long,
35” high, capacity
600 lbs
Choice of 10"
pneumatic or semi
pneumatic wheels
FARM BUREAU
Mill Street
Dublin, PA 18917
FARM BUREAU
115 Washington Ave.
Souderton, PA 18964
PH. (215)273-4355
ROBERT GUTSH ALL
RD1212 Womelsdoii,
PA 19567
PH. (717) 933-4616
CHESTER INGRAM
Hublersburg RD 2
Bellefonte, PA 16823
PH. (814) 383-2798
DELIVERIES
AVAILABLE
is where farmers are way ahead of
the pack in thinking up new ways
to make it work for them. Calf
hutches are a prime example.
They are actually simple solar
collectors that have saved the lives
of thousands of calves. Nearly
every new barn that’s built these
days is oriented in such a way that
the sun penetrates to the north wall
in winter, but blocks the hot rays in
summer. Open front heifer sheds
and free stall barns facing south
are adaptations of tested solar
technology. Many newer stall
barns are built on an east-west
axis, with most of the windows on
the south side.
The idea of underground housing
and earth-berm shelter has been
around as long as the old bank
barns our forefathers built, and the
caves and cellars to cool and store
produce. There are windmills to
pump water and water wheels to
run sawmills and grind grain. And
the nylon line stretched across the
backyard is still a most efficient
solar clothes dryer. Nothing new
under the sun? Give us a chance
and we’ll think of something.
Take gram drying for instance.
The old wooden corn crib was a
pretty good solar dryer for ear
com, and I’ve noted that a few
dairymen are again thinking of
harvesting ear com and curing it
in the crib. Early planting and
shorter season varieties are part of
the successful management of this
technique. Several corn growers in
Lebanon County have been in
novators in collecting solar heated
air to blow through conventional
y
Krai burg Happy Moo Mats
IDEAL FOR EVERY FREE OR TIE STALL BARN
For new free and tie stall barns, mats can be cemented in concrete.
For existing barns, mats can be anchored on top of concrete.
RED BARN MATS
JUNE DAIRY MONTH
48x72
$ 45.00
shelled com dryers. Mark Hershey
has used solar air grain drying for
several years. Lloyd Sensenig; R 4,
Lebanon, built a new implement
shed that uses the whole south side
and roof as a solar collector. And
John Snader, Fredericksburg,
collects the heat from a large
chicken house roof and uses it to
dry com. These solar collectors
can be used for other purposes as
well. It just takes a little
imagination and initiative to make
it work.
Solar photo-voltaic cells to
convert light directly to electricity
are now a reality. When the cost of
producing the cells is lowered,
we’ll see many exciting uses for
this technology.
Solar water heating is practical
and economical. There are many
home-built collectors as well as
commorrially made ones in use
FOURTH ANNIVERSARY
COW MAT SPECIAL.
right now. The Lebanon Extension
office will conduct the fourth in a
series of solar workshops on July
31 - August 1 at the Lebanon Area
Vo-Tech school. A major feature of
the workshop is the hands - on
building of several solar collectors
for heating water. Twenty have
been built and are in use for the
past year, including my own,
which is working very well.
Meanwhile, look afound you and
note the sensible ways in which you
might use old Sol to work for you.
The technology, both old and new,
is available for easy design in
planning new structures or
remodeling old ones. And when the
most exotic and exciting
development in solar techniques
are perfected, farmers will be
among the first to adopt them and
make them work.
*■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!
IV ANCO SALES PSSRI
IRD 4, Box 300 KHSI
| Carlisle, PA 17013 ■■BgJ
| Phone - 717-776-3494 QlB
■ Please send free sample & installation
2 instructions
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