One of my farm's off-road vehicles is now equipped with a low-maintenance, long lasting lithium battery - and it's working great.
There's a lot that goes into maintaining a farm. I am constantly driving around, talking to my outdoor grounds team, visiting my animals, and checking on the progress in my gardens. The crew is also very busy and needs to get around easily and efficiently. My off-road utility vehicles are extremely useful, but when my electric one began to slow down, I decided to convert the battery system from lead-acid to lithium. Now it runs longer, charges faster, and is much more environmentally friendly. Our new 48 Volt Eco Battery is from Extreme Kartz and comes with a complete conversion kit making the "switch" so easy.
Enjoy these photos.
This is one of my off-road utility vehicles. It is used every single day of the year for a myriad of chores, including carrying harvests from the vegetable garden to my Winter House, transporting mulch and compost to various sites, and hauling supplies for work projects. This particular model was outfitted with lead-acid batteries which were aging and becoming less efficient. It was time for a change.
It takes eight lead-acid batteries to run this vehicle. They are located under the seats. The lead-acid battery is a type of rechargeable battery first invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté. Compared to more modern rechargeable batteries such as the lithium battery, lead-acid batteries have relatively low energy density.
The first step is to remove the old lead acid batteries. These will be disposed appropriately.
These are two new lithium Eco Batteries – one 160ah for my electric vehicle in Maine, and a smaller, skinnier 105ah battery version for the EV here at Bedford.
Both batteries come with an all inclusive installation kit, complete with brackets, a charger mount, and all the needed nuts and screws.
Here is the 48 volt Eco Battery charger. The entire battery and charger system is much lighter – about 80 percent lighter – than the lead-acid batteries.
Here is the plastic tray that held the lead-acid batteries in place. This also needs to be removed for the conversion.
Here is another view from the side showing where all the wires are located.
The two black brackets will now hold the new lithium battery.
… And the metal mount will support the battery’s charger. The conversion process is not difficult. Anyone with automotive knowledge can replace lead-acid batteries for lithium ones.
Here, the Eco Battery Charger is secured in place within the battery bay.
Everything fits compactly under the seats in the same place the lead-acid batteries were located, but with a much smaller footprint.
The connection wires run from the charger to the new status charge meter. Another advantage of these lithium batteries – they provide the same voltage output at any level of charge.
Finally, the Eco Battery is installed and connected. And it’s actually safer for the environment – they do not emit any toxic gases.
Here is a view from the top – one battery and one charger, which can last up to 10 years or more.
The seats lift up for easy access if needed.
One doesn’t even know the battery is there.
Inside the vehicle is the status charging indicator.
And outside is the vehicle’s new Eco Battery Charger Port. It uses a regular household power cable for charging.
And it’s ready to go once again – back to work at my busy farm. It now runs as good as new. A lithium battery for an off-road vehicle like this or a golf cart… it’s a good thing.
For any serious and passionate gardener it's important to attend botanical events that can inform and inspire - as I always say, "learn something new every day."
Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, traveled to St. Paul, Minnesota for the first ever Creator event at Bailey Nurseries. He joined more than 20 other garden influencers to learn about the Bailey brands Endless Summer® Hydrangeas, First Editions® Shrubs & Trees, and Easy Elegance® Roses, and tour the greenhouses and growing fields. I have many plants from Bailey Nurseries in my gardens. This was a great way for Ryan to see up close how plants are grown and nurtured before coming to my beloved Cantitoe Corners.
Enjoy these photos.
Bailey Nurseries is a fifth-generation, family-owned company. Its main mission is to help retailers, growers and landscapers create a “world landscape” that is beautiful, diverse, and fully sustainable.
This was the first-ever creator event for the company. Digital creator, Ryan McEnaney, who is part of the fifth-generation of the Bailey Family, welcomed everyone to the event and presented an introductory video.
The Bailey facilities are massive. The group started at Nord Farm in the propagation greenhouse.
There were thousands of hydrangeas being grown and nurtured in the ground. The group learned about the different methods of propagation, both by seed and by cuttings.
Look how big this is – bigger than Ryan’s hand. This panicle hydrangea is called ‘Strawberry Sundae’ – noted as a strong shrub for use in hedges and tight spaces. The flowers start of white and then change to red in the fall.
All the Bailey greenhouses are equipped with advanced irrigation systems. Hoses move from one end to the other watering the plants from above.
In the another area, root cuttings are placed on flats, and then processed through a conveyor belt for watering and then placement in the greenhouse.
This is production manager, Dave Gross. He oversees 22 acres under cover plus two acres of outdoor fields. Here he explains and shows the components for the soil mix. One of the materials used is hydro fiber, a pine by-product.
During the tour, Ryan spotted some linden trees. I am a big fan of lindens and have many growing at my farm. Two of several allées are made of lindens.
Outside, Ryan is standing in front of a large display of hydrangeas featuring three varieties – “Vanilla Strawberry,” “Berry White,” and First Editions “Little Hottie.”
This is Great Star Hydrangea. It has bold clusters of white star-shaped flowers with creamy white overtones at the ends of the branches from early summer to early fall.
Ryan and the group also toured the fields – rows and rows of gorgeous shrubs growing in the ground. Spiraea, sometimes spelled spirea, is commonly known as meadowsweets or steeplebushes. It is a genus of about 80 to 100 species of shrubs in the family Rosaceae. They are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, especially in eastern Asia.
In another section, rows and rows of lilacs.
And then a sight to behold – thousands of blooming hydrangeas. The two varieties blooming here are “Little Hottie” and “Berry White.”
The flower heads are so huge and every one is so perfect.
The container fields were next. At any given time there could be more than a million containers of plants in these fields – plants in one, three, and five gallon pots. These plats are ready to go to retailers.
This dwarf panicle hydrangea is called Bobo®. It features large white flowers in summer held upright on strong stems.
There were also so many pots of bold colored barberry. This is Orange rocket barberry which shows off vibrant coral-orange new foliage that turns ruby red in autumn.
Outdoor displays show other flowering plants offered by Baileys.
There was a lot of phlox, that hardy long-lived perennial. I also have a lot growing in my gardens.
This is Echinacea purpurea, the eastern purple coneflower, purple coneflower, hedgehog coneflower, or simply echinacea. It is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
… And of course, roses.
Ryan had a great time, learned a lot about Bailey’s history and its growing practices, and met lots of interesting people. Now, back to New York and back to work…
My glass vegetable greenhouse is now planted for the next season of indoor growing.
My large outdoor vegetable garden is still producing lots of great foods, but I always make sure my vegetable greenhouse is prepared and planted in time, so I am never without fresh delicious produce. Over the last few days, my gardeners planted new crops of celery, Swiss chard, spinach, carrots, cilantro, basil, arugula, dill, parsley, and others. Some of the seeds are from my favorite sources, including Johnny's Selected Seeds and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Most of the energy in this greenhouse comes from the sun through these giant windows, which can be programmed to open for ventilation or cooling when needed.
I spend a good amount of time preparing the soil before planting any seeds. I have 16 wooden garden boxes that fit the entire length and width of my vegetable greenhouse. Earlier this year, the beds were tilled, amended with good compost, and then raked.
The ideal temperature inside the greenhouse is around 80 to 85-degrees Fahrenheit to keep all the vegetables growing their best. We have a large thermometer at the entrance to the structure, so the temperature can be checked easily several times a day.
Inside the head house, we keep a number of favorite seeds. I am always on the lookout for different seeds when I travel, but seeds are also widely available online and at garden centers. Ryan keeps track of what seeds do well at the farm – indoors and out.
To start, our gardening intern Matthew uses this bed preparation rake from Johnny’s Selected Seeds to create furrows in the soil. Hard plastic red tubes slide onto selected teeth of the rake to mark the rows. In general, seeds should be planted at a depth of two times the width, or diameter, of the seed. A seed that’s about 1/16-of-an-inch thick should be planted an eighth-of-an-inch deep.
Some vegetables, such as kale, need to be planted a little deeper. Matthew uses a hoe to go over a few of the planting rows to make them an inch or two deeper.
Matthew is careful to keep track of what furrows need to be deeper. All these beds are raised. Raised bed gardening allows good drainage, prevents soil compaction, and provides protection for those plants that may otherwise get trampled.
Each packet to be used is placed next to its corresponding marker. I like to make sure we keep track of what varieties grow well, so I know what to use again next season. These are from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Started in 1998 as a hobby, it has since grown into North America’s largest heirloom seed establishment.
These carrot seeds are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Johnny’s Selected Seeds is a privately held, employee-owned organic seed producer. Johnny’s offers hundreds of varieties of organic vegetable, herb, flower, fruit and farm seeds that are known to be strong, dependable growers.
These seeds are pelleted, or coated, carrot seeds. Pellets make seed handling easier for small-seeded crops.
Spinach seeds look like tiny pebbles – these are not coated.
Matthew drops two or three every few inches. Once the seeds germinate, the weaker, less robust seedlings will be removed in a process called thinning. Thinning allows the best and strongest plants to grow, and gives them more resources like sunlight, nutrients, and water.
Ryan drops seeds in another bed. These raised beds were designed for easy reach from all sides, so that work can be done quickly and efficiently.
These are cilantro seeds. The seeds look like tiny yellowish-brown to tan globes with longitudinal ridges. Cilantro is easy to direct sow, or plant right away as seeds in the soil.
These seeds are also known commonly as coriander or Chinese parsley. Coriander is actually the dried seed of cilantro. Cilantro is a popular microgreen garnish that complements meat, fish, poultry, noodle dishes and soups.
These are Arugula seeds. Arugula is a cruciferous vegetable that provides many of the same benefits as other vegetables of the same family. Arugula leaves, also known as rocket or roquette, are tender and bite-sized with a tangy flavor.
Here, Ryan plants them by broadcasting. In agriculture, gardening, and forestry, broadcast seeding is a method of seeding by scattering over the area. This works well with those plants that don’t require specific spacing.
I always have a large variety of seeds to grow. I am always on the lookout for different seeds when I travel, but seeds are also widely available online and at garden centers. These seeds are for Swiss chard.
I like to use basil year round. Basil is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae. Basil is native to tropical regions from central Africa to Southeast Asia. It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide.
Once all the seeds are dropped into their various beds, Ryan uses the back of a soft rake to backfill all the furrows.
And then everything is given a thorough drink of water. In several weeks when the outdoor garden is well past its peak, we’ll have nutritious and fresh vegetables to eat, share, and enjoy from this indoor greenhouse.
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