For about 16 years now I've been making a spring list & doing 10 or more
things in addition to all the stuff already going on, mostly nobody
knows about it, this is the first year it's going out, hopefully more
help will make these ideas more successful. This is a brief outline.
Organic Milk in Returnable Bottles - this is to empower folks
(while getting them to eat better) Returnable bottled organic milk,
is alive & well you just need to know where to find it & how to
persuade your store to carry it.
Drum roll please..... Yes.. just opened a few weeks now, &
special thanks To North Coventry township manager Kevin
Hennessey for pointing it out. John Stoltzfus of Lancaster
County is selling Organic Milk in returnable glass bottles at
The Pottstown Farmers Market, open Thursday, Friday & Saturday.
There is a bottle deposit & you'll be happy with the selection
of whole milk, low fat & skim milk, also some not homogenized ,
yes cream on top, if you remember that treat as a kid.
Also just today (4/23) Terry Brett owner of Kimberton
Whole Foods has agreed to test sell Organic Raw Milk in
Returnable bottles, he needs to hear from you & your interest.
If you shop there, fill out the comment cards, if you go to the
Douglassville Store, tell them also. It's a simple
message, I'm tired of asking if I want a good product or good
package " I want both." I also need to hear from you if you
know of other places selling this in SE Pa. I'm locating
bottling systems & glass bottles if you'd know of farms
interested in getting into this.
Camphill Kimberton Hills has expressed interest in going to
glass. If you know of farms or dairies that have bottling
equipment or glass bottles they don't intend to use, please let
me know as we can share the information.
Above: Rob Ihlein of Pottstown is getting some Organic
Milk in Returnable Bottles at the Pottstown Farmers Market
(High & Charlotte Sts} When he's not getting milk you can
also spot him directing traffic at RSI or working at his
Solar Water Heating Business.

Grid Interface Unit at Recycling Services, Inc. - This solar
unit will display & provide most electric power to the recycling
center. The unit will be built to be expandable & will sell
electric to PECO. We're not going after grants but seeking
sponsors. As of April 28, panels & inverter are ordered &
expected to ship this week. So far over $2000 has been raised
& we then have another 30 days after ship date to raise the
balance. The frame is being painted. (5/8/08)
Panels & grid interface inverter is ordered & should be in this week
(actually should have shipped last week) painting of the rack has
started & today we moved our sales tent to make room for the metal
supports, hopefully in on Thursday, still about $1000 short on
sponsor funds..
Left: Stan Uba works preparing the rack for the "solar
electric grid interface unit" The frame will hold both
solar electric panels & four evacuated tube water heating
units to heat our office.

Left: Jim with some of the new solar panels
Meet Environmental Singles - This will be a new web page feature.
This has gotten a lot of laughs from folks that have read it. It's
not funny to me, but honestly I think most recyclers here are
married or in committed relationships. I was thinking of a way, that
those with similar interests can meet. It's very hard to meet like
minded people, the computer is a joke, I was recently matched up
with a conservative smoking meat eater, (I'm none of those) & not
being one who hangs around bars, add to that age, interests &
extremes like running a recycling center, or working with renewable
energy & electric vehicles, or being a writer or, well the list goes
on, but the odds of meeting a compatible woman, for me seems like
about a zillion to one. I'm open to ideas on this, perhaps
those looking could do a listing with e-mail contact for first
contact, then perhaps some activities, as a group. Please send
thoughts. (5/8/08) As I suspected, there seems to be no
interest in this, my only e-mail related to this was asking if we
really want to do such a thing, because of problems like bad dates
(sounds like a food issue) & predator problems (sounds like a
film).
100 MPG project car - I've been collecti
ng parts & lots of
information, the base car is an 82 VW rabbit diesel, currently
running on bio diesel & getting 50mpg. To fund the
engine rebuild & improvements on the 82 Diesel Rabbit the 83 Diesel
Rabbit will be sold, along with a 80 VW Dasher. Parts are
being collected, the 83 should be ready for inspection this week,
then sale, next the Dasher goes in for minor repairs, just one
engine rebuild price so far of $1400. Synthetic oil & trans oil have
been ordered & special low restriction air cleaner, along with an
electric clutch for the alternator, as battery charging will be
surface mount flex solar & regenerative braking. As of
April 28 one rabbit is back from the shop & ready to be inspected
the second a Dasher is going in for minor repairs & then sold to
fund an engine rebuild. This has delayed this project but little
things have been started, on the high mileage prototype.
(5/8/08) The first rabbit is back & ready to sell, this is an
83 - 4cyl Diesel w-4 sp. The second an 80 VW Dasher is in the shop
getting minor repairs & check for inspection. The funds raised by
selling these will fund the engine rebuild of the project car, as of
today I traded some tires for the parts needed for the electric
clutch on the alternator, still waiting for estimates on the
rebuild.
Where's my can? An innovative way to track recyclables, from
cradle to cradle.
Cordless Electric Ironing Board Racer -
The idea here is to build
something fun, low budget & mind stimulating. I was looking around
the collection area & saw an ironing board & thought perfect! Just
need to add some wheels & an electric drive, make the battery pack
chargeable from solar panels & there you have it, perhaps the first
ever (ok not perhaps) cordless electric solar charged ironing board..
Organic Cotton Shirts - with embroidered lettering, for RSI.
Design has been delivered to the sewing shop & shirts can be
delivered in two days, still waiting on organic cotton thread order.
The shirts will be union made & union sewn locally.
(5/7/08)
After a long wait I finally have the spool, so I know the
size to order for organic grown to color thread for lettering and
picture on our new shirts, still waiting for design specs to see how
much thread is needed. Warren at Ink & Essence in Pottstown has
gotten in the sample shirt & is waiting for the thread I've ordered.
Publish editorial cartoon - "what will ideas of the future
look like" - the publisher of The Mercury stopped
in for a visit, so I haven't given up on them yet, but I did get
the contact for the Philadelphia Inquirer & since I have about 10
more now, there are enough to go around. Does anyone have a contact
at the New York or LA Times?
Children of The Great Oak - Two years ago we did significant
work on caring for this ancient local tree, we still haven't
recouped money spent, and there is more to do to promote care of old
growth. To help fund this we'll be selling seedlings from the
Great Oak & holding a Native Plant Sale. (5/5/2008)
Nathan & I went over to first dig out little trees & then mow &
clear vines, the job went well, we now have 20 more "children" to
sell at $25. each to help cover funds spent for past care of the
great tree. I also got to meet a neighbor who has done a
watercolor of the tree & may have interest in helping do a limited
edition print as a fundraiser. My idea here is to set up a fund,
possibly managed by Green Valleys as a fund for care of ancient
trees. I got a message back from Al at Yellow Springs Nursery that
he is so busy that a native plant sale won't be practical to do
until fall.

Solar Casting - The large solar lens is nearly ready, this
beast hits F 3000 in full sun, the object is to cast glass items
from recycled materials. (5/7/08) What I want to do this
spring with the casting was to get the lens set up & tested, the
best temperatures will come this summer. The frame is finished &
test crucible ready, the first melting will be of some gold I'm
casting. At this point I think the easiest prism pattern to make
from recycled glass will be a flat pressed unit, I left a message
for Joel, (Glasslight) but no call back yet on making the pattern.
Look for more details soon. Happy Spring. Jim .