How to use the patented Barnel center oiler bolt

We're happy to announce the addition of a new refillable oiler pen to our online garden tool catalog. Why is this important you ask? Well that's a great question and I'm glad you've asked because it presents me with the chance to expound on the merits of the patented Barnel center oiler bolt which is a standard feature on many of the Barnel products offered at waycooltools.com.
The center oiler bolt is one of the features that sets these pruners & loppers apart from other garden tools and sets a new industry standard in efficiency and ease of maintenance.
The center bolt itself is an oil reservoir that can be easily filled with the pen oiler. This enables you to oil your pruner from the inside while you work. This eliminates the need to disassemble your pruners, apply oil that will only last a short time, then re-assemble and reset the pruner blade gap so they cut properly.
All you need to do is insert the pen oiler tip into the oiler bolt nipple and squeeze until oil comes out. Wipe off any excess oil and...you're done!
This is a WayCoolTool! need we say more?

Cashing in on soil health at Rodale Institute

Earlier this season we visited Cindy Conner at her home in Virginia. We were blessed to see the methods she uses in her video & class room teaching first hand and came away from her garden greatly inspired to try her techniques and tell the world. The World.. How could you possibly feed the world as we know it with the methods we learned from Cindy Conner?
Well we went to the Rodale institute http://rodaleinstitute.org/ in south eastern Pennsylvania to find out. We went there to participate in the "Cashing in on Soil Health Field Day" and what an education it was.
Many people from far and near who are organic farmers and gardeners (or want to be), folks from the organic food industry, equipment manufacturers, folks from the guvment and the and the many volunteers and staff at Rodale came together to for an extra special day of learning and fellowship
We had the privilege of meeting Tim Lasalle, the CEO of the Rodale Institute and hear some background information on global warming. (yes,.. it's real) We heard the facts surrounding global climate change and the neat thing is something can be done about it.
You see all those plants we use as cover crops for the purpose of building soil health and reducing erosion actually LIKE to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Whats more the folks at the Rodale Institute have developed a machine and a method for locking the carbon that those plants absorb from the atmosphere into the soil and improving soil health and fertility in the process. It gets even better than that. Dr. Tom O'Donnel of the Global Emissions Exchange http://www.globalemissionsexchange.com/shined a great big light on how farmers can actually help those who would like to offset their carbon output and how they can benefit from the sale of their carbon credits due to the fact that they though their wise growing practices have sequestered TONS of carbon dioxide while producing a superior crop to feed the worlds people and animals.
We got a pretty in depth instructional tour of the U.S.D.A. web soil survey site http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov from John Chibirka of the U.S.D.A. Natural Conservation Services entitled This ain't your daddy's soil survey! A Technological Jump into the 21st Century.
An awesome lunch was graciously served the the Rodale staff and we spent some time in conversation with some of the participants of the event from the Organic Valley family of farms http://www.organicvalley.coop/
After lunch we all climbed aboard the tractor drawn wagons and headed out onto the 300 acre research farm for an in depth tour conducted by a group of researchers from the Rodale Institute. There we got to see the techniques we were wondering about after we visited Cindy Conner's garden. There it was. Rather than tilling in the cover crops you instead use a devise first made by the Rodale Institute and now available from manufacturers such as I & J manufacturing http://www.croproller.com/croproller_development.html in Gap Pennsylvania called a roller crimper that does just that. It rolls and crimps the cover crop so that it becomes its own mulch layer. A second device on the back of the tractor simultaneously plants your next seasons crop right through the cover crop. You get the benefit of improved soil fertility, natural weed control, erosion control and moisture retention all in one pass. On top of that you are also doing your part to help reduce our nation's carbon output and profiting from it in the process.

Way Cool? We think so!

And now for some links we think you'll really like:
http://www.hero-farmers.org/
http://www.organicheros.org/
http://www.farmingwithhorses.com/contact.php

Up Coming Gardening Events at Rodale Institute:
* Wednesday, October 7 10am-12pm
Farm and Garden Equipment for the Novice
Jeff Moyer, Owen Maguire, Mark Scheetz

* Wednesday, November 4 10am-12pm
Pruning 101
April Johnson

* Wednesday, December 2 10am-12pm
Build Your Own Gardening Containers
April Johnson

Workshops are subject to change.
Fee: $20.00/person
Register by calling 610-683-6009 or email ribooks@fast.net.
(Pre-registration is required.)

Going Green with Congressman Roscoe Bartlett in Frederick, Maryland

Doug MacMaster of Thompson Gas in Oakland Maryland invited us to join him and exhibit our propane mower at the Go Green Energy Conference in Frederick Maryland which was sponsored by Congressman Roscoe Bartlett. Green was the theme and there were lots of interested people from around the region who turned out to see the environmentally friendly innovations ehibited at the event.
Solar solutions had a large showing there as well as the propane powered vehicles and machinery exhibit we were blessed to be a part of. There was a propane powered Rouch F-150 pick up truck and Blue Bird school bus which ran smooth and quiet with no smelly fumes. The exhaust pipes are cool to the touch even while running, and only water vapor is emitted- none of the black soot that we see with gas or diesel fuel systems! The LEHR Eco Trimmer once again received a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and we saw lots of people sign up for the Thompson Gas prize drawing. First prize was 200 gallons of clean, green propane. Second prize was a LEHR propane Eco Trimmer and third prize was a free 20 LB gas grill tank refill. I'll let you know, a lot of the folks there wanted to win second prize.
Congressman Bartlett stopped by our exhibit and was happy to see the solutions that clean burning propane offered to our current environmental concerns. The propane mower and flame weeder were familiar to him already as he is aware of the new technologies that offer real, immediate solutions to our environmental concerns.
Like all the people we met from his Maryland district and areas around the region he enjoyed trying out the LEHR Eco Trimmer.

Thanks again to Doug McMaster and the folks at Thompson Gas for the invitation and a special thanks to Congressman Roscoe Bartlett for sponsoring this event.

We are very optimistic about the benefits that clean burning propane offers as a motor fuel.
It is technology that is available Right Now.
For more information on the benefits of switching to environmentally friendly propane instead of gasoline or Diesel please contact us via the WayCoolTools.com contact page.

Propane Gas at the 60th Annual Delmarva Chicken Festival

When we got the invitation to attend the 60th annual Delmarva Chicken Festival we decided we just had to go!
We met the folks from the Mid Atlantic Propane Gas Association in Centreville, MD and got to exhibit our propane powered lawn and garden equipment along side some other propane powered implements like a barbecue grill and an outdoor patio heater, not to forget the poultry house sanitizer manufactured by Flame Engineering of LaCrosse, Kansas, now celebrating their 50th year, which was provided by Tri-Gas & Oil of Federalsburg, MD.
We were proud to exhibit our EnviroGard propane powered 61" zero turn lawn mower, and assortment of Weed Dragon torches (also manufactured by Flame Engineering) and the new LEHR Eco Trimmer.
The Chicken Festival was an event filled with food, music, vendors and amusements for all ages and interests.
We were greeted at the entrance gate by a gentleman wearing a chicken hat and met people through out the day wearing similar garments. When we asked about the hats the response we got was that they were from Chicken Festivals from years past, so this seems to be a tradition on the Delmarva. Speaking of chicken, the chicken cooked in the giant fry pan was terrific as was the lemonade that we drank a lot of.
Lots of folks stopped by the M.A.P.G.A. exhibit to try their hand at a form of putt putt golf we call earth golf and to learn about propane which isn't just for heating or cooking any more.
Thanks to the folks at LEHR and Onyx Environmental Solutions we can now use propane as a low polluting motor fuel in lawn equipment engines.
LEHR has a really awesome line of propane powered string trimmers known as Eco Trimmers. They have 4 stroke engines that are smooth running and quieter than your average 2 cycle engine with PLENTY of power and a whole lot less pollution and smell. The fuel for the Eco trimmers comes in economical and easy to use 16.4 oz. twist on canisters readily available at most hardware stores, as are the trimmers themselves.
The reactions we got from the LEHR trimmers was always something like... OH! That's Amazing!! It Runs On Propane!! I WANT ONE!!!
Onyx Environmental Solutions is the originator of the EnviroGard fuel system which powers the zero turn lawn mower. They have been a pioneer in the patented propane fuel system designed for rugged use in the turf industry. We had a really positive response to the EnviroGard mower from home owners and professionals alike. The interest in using propane as a clean burning, low polluting alternative fuel has been consistently high, especially when they realize that propane is much less expensive than gasoline during the growing season.
We also had a great response when people saw the new Mini Dragon flame weeder and saw how easy it is to control weeds without the use of dangerous chemicals. Fueled by easy to use 16.4 oz. propane cylinders the Mini Dragon uses heat to bring weeds to the place where they have wilted and will dry up & die.
We met many chicken consumers as well as producers at the Chicken Fest who were happy to see the Flame Engineering Poultry House Sanitizer which does its job using propane heat not chemicals. Better for the birds, better for the environment and better for you.
Can you say Organic Chicken?
Thanks again to the Mid Atlantic Propane Gas Association for inviting us to the Chicken Fest as well as EnviroGard, Flame Engineering and LEHR for the great equipment to exhibit at the event.
A special note of thanks to Timothy Elgard (pictured above in front of the mower) who braved the heat in his chicken costume.
Check out our new environmentally friendly propane powered equipment section of the WayCoolTools on line catalog... coming soon.

Virginia Herb Festival

The First Annual Virginia Herb Festival was a great time of fun, food and fellowship at Sunflower Cottage in Middletown, Virginia.
We had the opportunity amongst many other vendors and crafters to share our products with visitors from around the region.
There were herb plants, herbal remedies, educational workshops, wine tasting, tea tasting, local artists, pick your own Lavender, gardens, livestock, crafts and of course garden tools!
We met many new friends and old friends as well.
It's difficult to describe in words the great fellowship we had with the other vendors.
Amongst others that we met at this event we'd like to thank:

Billie and Arnold Clifton, the owners of Sunflower Cottage - www.sunflowercottage.net , our hosts. Sunflower Cottage runs a nursery, holds workshops and has a lovely restaurant.
Sandra Dee: who works in the nursery at Sunflower Cottage
Chuck & Karen White: Chuckie's Cactuscopia -www.chuckiescactus.com
Patty Hankins: Fine Art Floral Photography - www.BeautifulFlowerPictures.com , prints, cards and more.
Sarah and Peter Roussos: Agro-Depot /Green Alchemy Herb & Mercantile Co. , locally made foods, produce and products catalog.
Robert & Jennifer Fabrizi: The Alpacas of Cedar Knoll , beautiful sweet alpacas, wool and knitting or spinning lessons!
Jill Larrabee: Persnickety Pup - www.persnicketypup.com . Adorable and unique collars, leashes and more for the discerning doggies in your social circle.
Sondra Johnson: Natures Common Scents - www.naturescommonscents.com , herbal remedies and preparations that really work! Made in small batches by Sondra herself.
Doug McKenzie: Between The Hills Wood Working - www.BTHWoodworking.com , Doug and son create high quality outdoor furniture and all proceeds benefit his son's overseas mission work.
We'd all especially like to thank Doug for the impromptu gospel sing along on Sunday morning.
It was a great time in the sun at Sunflower Cottage!
We wish you all the best.

Cindy Conner, Cover Crops video

Here's a 3 minute teaser for the full length video.
We recently met Cindy at a Master Gardeners event in Goochland. She is truly a fountain of knowledge about gardening sustainably! Check out the full length video about cover crops available in our online store:
Out-compete weeds, nourish your soil, and enjoy abundant biomass for mulch and compost using techniques from Virginia sustainable agriculture teacher/expert Cynthia Conner. This 66 minute video takes you through the seasons in Cindy's intensive garden, showing you cover crops growing, harvesting, planting into stubble, timing, varieties and more! Overflowing with valuable tips and tricks for gardening and processing the harvest without power tools and in a sustainable manner. Learn something new every time you watch it!
Cindy is a teacher of sustainable agriculture at J. Sargent Reynolds Community College in Goochland/Richmond(they even have a sustainable ag CLUB!!) and a certified teacher of John Jeavons' GROW BIOINTENSIVE method of gardening, holds a certificate in Permaculture Design.
For more info on Cindy's work see www.homeplaceearth.com
We really enjoyed meeting Cindy, talking about the old Ecovillage, John Jeavons, oxen, tools and on and on. What a delightful gardener to know, we look forward to learning more from her!

Spring Garden Fest 4/25/09

See the link for more info...

Presented by the Goochland-Powhatan Master Gardeners in cooperation

with J. SargeantReynolds Community College and VA Cooperative Extension

Saturday, April 25, 2009

8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

at

J. SargeantReynolds Community College

1851 Dickinson Road, Goochland, VA

• Classes, workshops, demonstrations,

displays, plant and garden vendors,

food for sale, and ask the experts

•Register in advance for classes or

just stop by to shop, browse, and learn.

• Visit www.gpmga.org or contact the Goochland

Extension office at 556-5841 for more info.

Update on the cold frames

It's late March now and we are harvesting greens from our homemade cloches
Here are a few pics featuring the greens that survived -2F temps with no additional protection and our new fave harvesting tool: Sheep Shears!. They are handy for harvesting greens, cutting back liriope and shearing back leggy annuals or perennials. If you have sheep, these will shear them beautifully :-)This model comes with a free belt holster, so you can store them safely when not in use.

Eat the View! Obama vegetable garden

It is so exciting to see an edible landscape being created at the White House! I would love to have all that help in our little garden here :-)
It is a national movement of great importance: teach a man to garden and feed him, his family and neighbors for a lifetime!
Garden tools that last and get the job done are important too! We have a line of steel tools made in the USA of US steel that will never bend or break under normal use. Or our Brook and Hunter oak and steel tools that carry a LIFETIME replacement guarantee!
See more at our website: www.waycooltools.com

Alice Waters, featuring Brook and Hunter tools!!

Watch CBS Videos Online

The whole local/grow your own food movement seems to be nosing it's way into the mainstream! We were excited to see Brook and Hunter stainless steel digging forks and spades make an appearance in the Edible Schoolyard segment of this 10 minute video. (around the 9 minute mark) They look great, and it's good to see they are pretty easily handled by the children. When your kids are outgrowing their colorful kids tools, why not invest in their future? A beautiful set of heirloom quality digging tools from Brook and Hunter and WayCoolTools.com makes a fantastic Spring season gift!

A pretty Iris

I love Irises...Anyone know this variety? We've had them for years. Nicely fragrant too. If only they were re-bloomers. :-)
I could have masses and masses of different varieties and never get tired of them.
J