Subject: sheep dairy plans?
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From: Eden Myers <m1231e@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Jul 29, 2008 at 11:36 PM
To: Frank Kipe <frank@kipe.com>
Eden
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From: Frank Kipe <frank@kipe.com>
Date: Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 5:50 AM
To: Eden Myers <m1231e@gmail.com>
Hi Eden,
I will be on the road today and tomorrow. I hope to be back on the project and have something for you this weekend.
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From: Eden Myers <m1231e@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 7:27 AM
To: Frank Kipe <frank@kipe.com>
Eden
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From: Frank Kipe <frank@kipe.com>
Date: Wed, Aug 6, 2008 at 8:06 AM
To: Eden Myers <m1231e@gmail.com>
Hi Eden,
Here are some more files for you. I made a couple of minor changes to Phase 1, then added Phase 2 and Phase 3.
I think your ideas for the facility layout and accommodating on the front end for expansion are great. I'm sure your milk inspector will be delighted…most facilities (particularly smaller facilities) are not thought out so clearly in advance. Please feel free to critique or make any changes you wish. It's a lot easier to do it now than after the concrete is poured.
Frank's Opinion (for what it's worth) - I think making the equipment room and rest room larger (maybe even adding a shower) would be very beneficial long term.
I added 1 foot to the floor pad in Phase 1. This may allow you to pour all the drains you will need in the first phase and save some complexity and expense in later phases.
Could you explain the process and equipment involved in cooling/freezing the milk? Particularly in Phase 1 there is not much room in the milk room and freezer room. I just want to make sure that is not too cramped. Are the coolers and freezers free standing units or will you be insulating the walls and setting in refrigeration equipment.
Did you want an entrance directly into the freezer room in all phases? If so where do you want the entrance? Do you want that door 4 feet wide for forklift entrance?
If you would like to mark up locations for windows I'll add those in…for example any glorious views that need windows and giant shrubs that would make windows useless.
Do you have dimensions for the rapid exit parlor platform? Are there ramps at the entrance and exit and if so are they inside the building or outside the building. I'd like to start putting in some of the fixtures (milking platform, sinks, to make sure there is enough room for everything. Can your portable milker (vacuum pump) fit under the parlor platform or do we need a place for it in the parlor walkway or in the equipment room.
Once that is done and we have things situated I'll be able to sort out drains and electrical outlets.
Have an excellent day.
Frank Kipe
Old Springhouse Farm and
MicroDairy Designs LLC
301-824-3689
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From: Eden Myers <m1231e@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Aug 6, 2008 at 10:53 AM
To: Frank Kipe <frank@kipe.com>
Amen, brother. I learned long ago paper is easier to erase than concrete, and it's way too late to fogure out your next step once you're ready to take it.
The equipment room, I agree, I can already see that it will be very cramped (beyond phase I when there is essentially no equipment!). Ultimately it will need elec panel, water filtration, on demand water heater, pump for circulating water through solar panels and infloor heating pipes, vac pump/compressor/motor, washer and dryer- what else? The bathroom I have a hard time justifiying anything beyond a toilet and a sink.
I'm all for simple and cheap!
Freezing process- milk is poured into small stainless steel elevated tank, disposable 5gal plastic bag is fitted to nozzle at bottom, filled, closed. One bag holds (average milk flow) 20 ewes per milking, so at 80 ewes I have four bags per milking. Obviously at peak milk and above average production level I could need more- say max 16 bags per milking. Dolly them into the walk in freezer, maybe a model like this one lay them out flat in single layer. At next milking, stack up the laid out bags, now frozen, from previous milking. Once a pallet is accumulated (50 bags, so once or twice a week) pallet jack it out to the driveway, somehow get it into a truck (refrigerated?) and drive it (maybe across state line) to cheeseplant in Lexington, Knoxville or western KY. Freezer is walk in, 6'x6' in phase I, something like this http://cgi.ebay.com/Walk-in-Freezer-New-from-Amerikooler-6x6x77_W0QQitemZ250277269536QQihZ015QQcategoryZ53225QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem. Potential problem, a freezer that size doesn't have a 4' door, so I may have to dolly the frozen bags out and build the pallet outsied (inside a fridge truck if temp >40F). OK by me if freezer opens to outside of building rather than into milkroom but PMO may dictate that. It would be ideal if coolers, freezer could open into a fairly small space for purposes of recovering temp quickly.
I don't know yet. Is that a legitimate answer? Let me think about it today.
Great views in all directions- house, barn, field. Windows everywhere- openable if possible. I am a firm believer in the power of sunlight and fresh air. Do need to give consideration to where exhaust from vacuum pump, cooler units exits- want mold, bacteria laden air form coolers being shot as far away from cheesemaking room as possible, don't want noise or drafts disturbing sheep in holding area, people in yard/house...
Platform is planned to be 8'x16', expanded metal decking, so milker needs to go in aisle. Entrance and exit ramps outside parlor. Entrance on the side is actually a built up area, exit ramp leads into a chute the length of the building exiting back into the holding area. Movable gate (actually two chained together at the bottom and serving as a hay rack, suspended from rails hung on rafters) seperates the 'been milked' from the 'ladies in waiting'.
Hey, do you mind if I post our design conversations on the blog? I'd like others' comments, and maybe it can serve as a reference to others working through the same process. I'll go get that vide of the site so you can have a feel for how the dairy will relate to the house, barn, etc.
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From: Frank Kipe <frank@kipe.com>
Date: Wed, Aug 6, 2008 at 12:00 PM
To: Eden Myers <m1231e@gmail.com>
Hi Eden
Thanks for the follow up, I'll have some more work done in the morning.
Feel free to post this information on your blog. I would value others ideas and suggestions as well.
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