Old Oak Family Farm

Veggies, Fruit, & Flowers

July 2, 2016
by Chuck Charbeneau
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Agricultural machinery and its durability

One of the most common causes of downtime and failure of agricultural machinery consists of wear on the machinery’s bearings and shafts. Because these critical components need to be durable enough to withstand extreme conditions, finding a solution that is both cost-effective and easy to deploy is key for industrial designers, this way farms can keep on growing their crops with the use of great California Industrial Rubber Co. services and other technologies.

To maintain maximum reliability and functionality in harsh environments like farming conditions, it is essential to ensure long-term productivity for the equipment used on the farm. Equipment such as 4in1 bucket and harvester blades on combine-harvesters can experience high loads and require lubrication and maintenance to operate Pre Owned Farming Equipment effectively throughout the harvesting season. Those who do not have the necessary equipment for farming processes like Crop Spraying, you may just hire local agricultural experts.

In an industry that is constantly evolving technologically, with ever-increasing costs of investments, this creates a huge cost burden for farmers, To learn more about this, click here. To address these issues from a material perspective a new technique was designed that uses a paint to coat the inside of a roll crusher shaft using a typical automotive car-coating product as the main bonding agent using a standard mixing machine and a spray gun system with a ~60% solids basis super-strong industrial adhesive by fast cure technology from 3M which was designed to reduce rolling resistance up to 5x between conventional bearing steels to increase energy efficiency and reduce expensive maintenance costs when re-greasing the internals. To optimize wear and friction values, shaft and bearing materials that work together harmoniously are crucial.

The cost of energy is also a significant expense for agricultural businesses. With solar for agriculture, farmers can reduce their energy costs and save money.

This approach is applied during the manufacturing process to optimize the roller movement and improve the operation through a flexible mixture process with low VOC solvents that can be readily applied when the rollers are dismantled from the housing and that are then re -installed within the main frame having the optimum diameter to minimize vibrations and also avoiding any build-up of heat within the working area during operations and minimizing the possibility of dangerous overload situations due to accumulating grease sludge.

Meanwhile a mechanism is installed where instead of a traditional oil bath as the method which is normally used for the maintenance of lubricating systems inside a housing designed for giant crushers fitted with three or four of these main large polished aluminum rolls have been equipped with an oiling system also developed to increase the power transmission to the works without increasing the need for extra cooling due to the large amount of accumulated noise and interference that accompanies normal traditional internal lubricated machines but by means of the proposed patented methodology to replace their traditionally used cylinder cooling system in order to enhance the overall performance as well as reducing maintenance and service costs and prolong the lifetime of the entire device.

June 28, 2012
by ooff1906
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Red Velvet Soup

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 tsp. minced garlic
6 medium beets, peeled and chopped
2 cups beef stock
salt and pepper, to taste*
1/3 cup fat-free half and half

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté garlic and onions in olive oil until soft but not browned. Stir in beets and cook for 1 minute; stir in stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and continue
cooking 25 minutes or until beets are tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool. In a food processor or blender container, process soup in batches until smooth. Return soup to saucepan and gently heat through; season with salt
and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish by swirling 1 tablespoon cream into each bowl of soup.

*additional salt and pepper not included in analysis
Per 1-cup serving: 120 calories, 6 g fat, 4 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 270 mg sodium

June 28, 2012
by ooff1906
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Butternut Lasagna

1 butternut squash, peeled
1 bunch kale or other greens
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
3 TBS olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 TBS chopped fresh sage leaves
1 cup grated Gruyere, Swiss, mozzarella or fontina cheese, for topping.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds. Place the halves face-down and cut in 1/4-inch slices. Remove and discard the stems from 1 bunch kale or other greens. Chop the leaves roughly. Dice 1 large onion and mince 3 cloves of garlic. Sauté the onion in 3 TBS olive oil until soft, then add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the kale and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish or large cast iron skillet, then cover with an overlapping layer of squash slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the cooked greens over the squash, then make another layer of squash. Spoon 2 cups of diced tomatoes and 1 TBS chopped fresh sage leaves over this layer, then make another layer of squash. Top with grated cheese. Bake the casserole at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until it is brown on top and bubbling.

June 28, 2012
by ooff1906
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Pasta with Leeks & Butternut Squash

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 medium leeks (about 1 cup), cut lengthwise, rinsed well and thinly sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic
Sea salt
1 small to medium butternut squash (about 4-5 cups), halved, seeded, peeled and diced
1/4 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup rice milk (or regular milk)
1 pound pasta (we used spirals, but penne, or fettuccine would work well)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic and a pinch of salt and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add squash and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, 5 to 6 minutes. Add stock and milk and season lightly with salt. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until squash is quite soft, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook just until tender to the bite, about 10 minutes. While pasta cooks, transfer squash and leek mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Return to skillet and simmer over low heat 2 to 3 minutes. Drain pasta; do not rinse. Toss with sauce and minced parsley and serve immediately.

June 28, 2012
by ooff1906
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Rustic Winter Vegetables

4 cups cleaned and diced winter vegetables*
1 piece thick sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 oz. feta cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, toss together vegetables, bacon, olive oil, thyme and garlic powder. Spread mixture into a shallow baking pan. Roast in oven about 35 minutes, stirring vegetables every 10 minutes,
until tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle with feta cheese. Serve hot over toasted baguette slices, pasta or crackers

*Choose any mixture of winter squash (butternut), carrots, parsnips, brussel sprouts, turnips, sweet potatoes or rutabagas. Note: vegetable mixture may be cooked ahead of time and reheated prior to serving.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups.
Per 1/2 cup serving: 130 calories, 7 g fat, 4 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 250 mg sodium
.

June 28, 2012
by ooff1906
0 comments

Herb-Roasted Squash and Sunchokes

2 cups butternut squash, peeled, and cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb. small sunchokes, unpeeled and scrubbed, cut in half or quartered
1 medium red onion, trimmed and cut into wedges
1 1/2 TBS garlic oil
2 TBS minced fresh herbs (try sage, rosemary, thyme, or a combination)
Preheat oven to 425. Toss together all ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and spread on baking sheet. Roast 1 hour, or until vegetables are soft and golden, turning several times with spatula.