Competing for Grain

[Scottimo]

[Random Task]

We all burn corn for different reasons.
As for me I'm with Greg. I also intend to have a modicum of control over my own wallet. I am absolutely sick of watching the ineptitude and greed of polititions, and big oil suck my wallet dry. I see this as a way of fighting back to the tune of about (in my particular case) $2500 this year alone. Next year it'll be worse, or momentarily better, then much worse, etc. Look at an oil chart over ten years. Oil is a world commodity and subject to world politics. Wall street has got us all trained now not to think of oil prices as simply a supply/demand issue. They've trained us well to expect that "investor jitters", or "political uncertainty" are as good a reason as any to jack the price to wherever they wish.
Burning corn is all about removing yourself from the vagaries of the marketplace, and the greed and inetitude of forces outside your control. It just seems to get worse every year and we end up paying for it. It's all about the money. Follow the money.
I intend to get as far off the grid as possible in the coming years. This stove is just the first step. If you combine a corn stove with this:
http://www.earthshelters.com/Tour.html
+ a little solar, you'll be completely unconcerned with the latest war, shortage, hurricane, jitters, ad infinitum. Who knows, you may even become ummm, complacent ?

PAHS. Now that's the way to go.
10-20 cents per sqft per year is my goal.
RT
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FIRE.... GOOD...COLD...BAD....

[corn4myheat]

Talk about Old Times,My son called me on the cell phone the other day and said he was at K Mart and was there anything I may need,I had just looked at the 2 cars and saw they both were due an oil change and grease job,rather than make an appointment I fugured I'd do it myself,
so I says to him bring home a case of oil. To my dismay when he got home he says "Dad,whats a case of oil"??? I made the appointment and got both cars done.
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LMF furnace
"I built it with my own two hands"

[kappel15]

we bought a camper a few years back and the people left and old color tv in it. we took it camping and our daughter asked how do you turn it on and how do you change the channels without a remote. have you ever watched a kid at a cash register try to make change when the computer cash register is down
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Quadra Fire
Trained Tech.
Sante Fe
Mt. Vernon AE
kan-burn shur-kleenII kap-kleaner

[corn4myheat]

Happened to me today...The high school girl at the register told me she couldn't give me a receipt because the register isn't working and that I
was luckey that I had the correct change,otherwise I would have to wait
so she knew how much money to give back. I asked her if she knew how to write and she looked at me like ,oh yea "LIKE" sure I can write,so I says "LIKE get a blank receipt that has the Company name on it and WRITE me out how much money I just gave you" DA ........... I'm glad I am as
old as I am but sure feel sorry for my grandkids....and your grandkids.
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LMF furnace
"I built it with my own two hands"

[kappel15]

i hear ya
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Quadra Fire
Trained Tech.
Sante Fe
Mt. Vernon AE
kan-burn shur-kleenII kap-kleaner

[Ahshucks]

Hey Dad ... I'm getting pretty tired pushing this mower around; when do I get to mow with the rider? Remember the ol' push mowers without a motor?
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Profit/Turnaround Expert: http://webpages.charter.net/rennhack1/index.html

[Scottimo]

Got one in the back yard had to sharpen the blade on it when I got it but it works great now, just don't let the grass get too long.
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Scott M
LDJ 165K Boiler

[kappel15]

yep had to use one of them cycle mowers when i mowed around the grandparents garden . they didn't want any grass clippings in their garden
_________________
Quadra Fire
Trained Tech.
Sante Fe
Mt. Vernon AE
kan-burn shur-kleenII kap-kleaner

[tallcorn]

[Ahshucks]

Tall ... can't they use a generator? I believe they just can't purchase power from a utility company. I've seen a few farms with hydro-generators in the stream next to them.
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Profit/Turnaround Expert: http://webpages.charter.net/rennhack1/index.html

[cornshucker]

Ahshucks, I know some that have generators, but don't use them unless absolutely necessary. I was at an Amish farm a little while ago and they were still using their oil lamps. I did see a young kid just the other week though talking on a cell phone while driving his buggy. That even surprised me, and might surprise his parents also. I know some have regular phones that they use, but generally keep in the barn instead of the house. But a cell phone is a little much for them.

[tallcorn]

[gregmess]

Apparently the Amish rules are different everywhere. I do computer work for an accounting firm in Kokomo, Indiana and it's not unusual to see older rubber-tired tractors in their parking lot. No wagon or anything... they just drive their tractors into town to see their CPA rather than their buggies. They all have phones in their barns around here.. no answering machines/voice mail though... The CPAs have a helluva time trying to ahold of them to get missing tax info from them during tax season.

I also do computer work for a small custom vinyl window manufacturer that is owned by a really nice Mennonite family. I wrote some point of sale/invoicing software for him that figured the sq ft of glass, what kind of glazing, tint, if a full screen or half screen was requested, did it have a nailing flange, etc..

Anyway s few months later he asked if I could add on the ability to have multiple businesses. I said sure no problem.. what kinds of businesses? I was thinking about what other changes might be needed. The guy so oh all kinds of businesses... the Amish can't use computers and a few of them have asked me to do their invoicing for them. I haven't been able to talk him into getting a website yet though


G

[corn burnin noob]

I see many of the points raised here, and do understand that corn pricing will rise with the continued increases of ethanol production. Here's a few things that I think everyone missed, and it's some of the reasons I got into burning.

The first is that it gives us some level of independence, and allows for us to explore two interesting human traits, one being defiance, to the oil companies, the second is security. We with corn burners can heat our house, and we now have a choice of how. No one on this board has a pipe sticking out of the ground that free resources (gas or oil) come out of. If we did, we wouldn't be worrying about burning corn, or pellets or whatever else ends up in our stove. We have the ability though, to go out, plant a field, harvest it, dry it and store it and then heat with it. Knowing we can do this provides us, in the backs of our minds, with a level of security. Maslow's hierarchy of needs says that shelter is number 1, and the feeling of being safe is number two. This corn burning thing is right there, at both levels. So at a primal level, we are satisfied.

Addressing the idea of a shortage of corn. Sure, this is a possibility, but as much as we did to burn corn to begin with, I am sure that no one will be buying corn stoves at flea markets for pennies on the dollar will not be happening. Reason is, like my LDJ sales guy said, it will burn anything that will feed through a 2 inch auger. If corn gets silly in price, we go to pellets, or pellets and corn mix, or pellet and something else. Another possibility is we as a group, pool our resources and get an extruder, and begin extruding things and make our own pellets. soybeans and paper come to mind because or the high oil content in the beans would keep it all together till it was burnt. This is we as a corn burning community would keep our heads about us and move forward. Even if we are burning extruded and dried cow pies, we will still burn, and remain independent.

Not because we have to but because we will choose to do so if that time comes. No one here is here, burning corn because we didn't have a choice , we burn because we did have a choice and this is what we chose to do.