#Zak Farmer

[late-to-the-damn-party]

i don't know if this is just because of where i live (cuz i live on an island, sarcastic woohoo), but i really hate ordering online

like i see so much fan merch i'm interested in, plus just general products in general, and i go and put in my cart because it's cool and i like it and i want to support the creator... but then i see the shipping and it just doubles the price, and it's not really worth it anymore. to me. makes something that's $30 come to a total of $60 and it's annoying

[thelovetheystole]

It's that time again. Another long rant from me, on this Sunday morning.

I still gets to me when I see W*ndy's name in the spoilers. Like, I don't want to accept that TPTB gave this woman a place in the village, and that this character, with such a horrid introduction, is still there. And has been now for as long a period of time as we got to have Ryan as Robert.

And sometimes they let her talk about 'my L*e' with a sort of fond expression. (When was the last time, before very recently, anyone on the show thought of Robert fondly?) And I get he's her son. But she, nor he, had any history going back on this show before that god awful night in 2019. The show expects me to care about her?

Maybe, if her and her sons had been characters we already knew, maybe if we had seen their terrible life with the equally terrible dad that apparently shaped them all. But we didn't.

What we the viewers have seen however, since 1986, is Robert:

• Being born

• Losing his mum

• Cuddling baby lambs at Emmerdale Farm in the company of Jack, Joe and gran Annie

• Getting a new mum who loved him

• Being the most awkward little boy who ran away from home and didn't have any friends and who couldn't get his line right in the Christmas nativity

• Finding a best friend in Andy

• Getting a slap across the face from his father for basically not wanting to be a farmer

• Watching his second mum burn to death in a barn and learning his former best friend, now brother, was responsible and watching his dad cover that up

• Being given his first beer on his 15th birthday by Zak Dingle

• Constantly saying he feels like he's unwanted in his own family and is always disappointing his dad

• Having to leave the village at 19 with nothing, except his father saying not 'I love you', like W*endy would have said to L*e, instead 'I don't hate you' was the best Jack could do

• Watching them bury his father from afar, feeling like a stranger who still doesn't belong

• Falling in love with Aaron

• Redeeming himself while helping Aaron through the worst thing possible

• Finding Liv and stepping up, growing to love her like another sister

• Making peace with Andy and helping him escape the country

• Coming out to Aaron and telling him about what his dad did

• Saving Aaron's life and getting engaged

• Owning up to what he did with Rebecca and ending up loving his son so much

• Letting Aaron go, even if it means him being with Dr. Hair

• Marrying the love of his life in front of the entire village

• Living his best life with Aaron, Liv and Seb, planning to have another child

• Agonizing over what happened to his sister, and being unable to help her

• Turning himself in, even though he knew Aaron was willing to go on the run with him

So, to close, I don't like Wendy, lol.

And it's not like she has done one good deed after another is it? Working with an incomplete/fraudulent nurses license, lying to Victoria, Harry's inheritence being lost because of it, leading to David getting shot, cheating on Bob, not once but A LOT of times, in her place of work, and then making herself the victim... But hey, she did help someone get the hang of breastfeeding once.

[zyxwl2015]

Some excerpts from the new Lando Norris biography

Although Lando was born into a rich family, his dad, Adam Norris, did not come from wealth himself. Adam's dad was a farmer & mum was a teacher. Adam has dyslexia and he was terrible at school and hated it. So he always has the mentality of working harder than anyone else to success

Lando and his brother Oli tried horse riding, quadbike and motorbike before eventually got into karting. Lando was 7 yo when he first started racing in karts

Adam was not willing to just buy the best equipment for his sons, instead he wanted to develop them. He approached Mark Berryman and Fraser Sheader in 2011 for help, Mark and Fraser has just founded ADD management in 2010 and their philosophy is on "developing and nurturing talents" rather than "just place them in teams", so they matched perfectly.

Mark on first meeting Lando: "for at least the first nine months he didn't listen to a word I said. "(😂😂) They were doing great with Oli because he was listening, but Lando just wasn't listening, but even then he's still winning races because he's really fast

Lando is the polar opposite now: he listens to everything Mark suggests. Brazil GP 2022 when Lando was on track, Mark texted Jon some suggestions, and Lando tried it straightaway. Out of Mark's students now, Lando is the best at "if you put something forward, he just does it".

Lando was so incredibly fast at that early age that people were convinced he/the team was cheating. One race when he was in the junior category, his lap time was so incredible that it would have put him in top 6 in the senior category

Lando had two crucial meetings in 2014, one was Jon Malvern, who's still his trainer to this day, the other was Trevor Carlin, who's the boss of the Carlin team, with which Lando competed from 2015 to 2018

Fraser approached Zak Brown in August 2016 to help bring some commercial values to ADD management. Zak at the time was the co-owner of United Autosports, a sports-car team. They agreed on a deal, and Zak then became part of the core Norris team together with Jon, Mark and Fraser. Little did they know Zak would soon became CEO of McLaren (😂)

February 2017. Charlotte Sefton was setting up a filming event on the Boulevard of MTC. She was making sure no one is on the Boulevard, tours was canceled, etc, apart from one guy "Lando Norris", who's a "VIP guest" and "it's top secret". Charlotte went "who's this guy?" and looked up on the Internet. (😂) Later that day she saw this shy kid got out of a Mini, said "hello" to her and walked to Zak's office. Days later Lando was confirmed as a junior driver for McLaren

(This book isn't as interesting as I initially thought, it's mostly "Norris raced in xxx series in year xxxx and did xyz"; but it does have a lot of quotes from people around him & some behind-the-scenes stories)

[alexalblondo]

Zak Brown criticising RedBull ... twink farmer on twink farmer violence ... rookie FP1s about to turn into a war zone ...

[keepthedelta]

Ma'am another horrible facial hair has hit a f1 twink 😔

zak brown calls himself a twink farmer but can't even keep them properly groomed 🙄

[justdippers]

Just discovered! Zak is a farmer in Kansas

He tells me he dips Cope mint because the taste lasts longer

Reblog JustDippers - new dippers every week!

[b1uedcollar]

full name.     harlan william zak nicknames.     harley, heck, dub(ya) gender.     cismale,   he/him sexuality.     bisexual(ish) date of birth.     march 14 zodiac sign.     pie-sees [pisces] residence.     renovated silo on inherited farmland property occupation.     farmer / teacher species.     human eyes.     hazel [ lmao. ] hair.     white as cotton. typically on the shorter side but still soft and fluffy.    why aren’t you playing with it? faceclaim.     wilson bethel, timothy olyphant voiceclaim.     randall king style.     pearl snaps and wranglers   ( the bigger the buckle the closer to god’n’all ).   always a pair of boots, rarely without his [cowboy] hat   ( other than church and at the dinner table ).    you will never see him in shorts or sleeveless shirts. hobbies   /   skills.     magic!   birdwatching,   horses,   cue sports (pool),   auctioneering,   music,   gambling quirks.     cannot balance a checkbook.   will always give you the biggest half.   leader of a george strait cover band. personality.     𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎,   𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑,   𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎   taken to heart. will give you the shirt off his back.   accommodating.   a betting man full of hopes and a love for the world around him.   spirited, traditional, friendly.   so polite you’ll never know if something’s wrong. and can always name the song that’s playing on the radio. birth order.     oldest pets.     german shorthaired pointer named after annie oakley ice cream flavor.     vanilla time of the day / night.     3pm/am weather.     light rain while rocking on the porch colors.     yellows, oranges song.     international harvester

[crownprincessoftherusalkas]

Shoutout to Zak Andrii for being being the palest farmer ever, and who should actually probably have strange tan lines

[sabbyvincent]

Some Zig Novak Headcanons

Back in Season 12, when Zig used to live with his mom, he had a dark gray holland lop with a white patch of fur underneath it’s nose. They named it Misha.

When his parents can afford it, his mom is actually a pretty good cook

During winter time, she makes good soups.

She is good friends with the owner of a farmer’s market down the street, he is aware that the Novak’s struggle to get by and gives them fresh vegetables and fruits for free

Borscht is actually one of his favorite foods she used to make when she had enough ingredients to make it.

How he got Misha: one of his junior high friends had to move away before freshman year and owned / bred a crap ton of rabbits. He gave Zig one of the bunnies for free; his mom orders rabbit food for the store and they store-use it to feed Misha.

He is a massive fan of alternative bands. All Time Low, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime, & Fall Out Boy are his faves

Him and Maya would sing out loud to Panic! At the Disco during Whisperhug rehearsals.

Adam and Zig became really good friends during Whisper hug.

He was devastated when he found out Adam died, but considering he was toggling with his own emotional turmoil after Cam’s death he couldn’t of attended the memorial service the Degrassi community held for him. It was all too fresh.

His little brother, Zakhar (Zak for short) is the complete opposite of him and is on the spectrum. He’s super freaking intelligent, is a little scientist, and is obsessed with anything space.

Before he got kicked out him and his brother were two peas in a pod :’)

Even though his brother was nowhere as good at it, he took him out skateboarding

While staying at the Matlins when he first started cooking he almost burnt the house down

Mama Mat was pissed but understanding about it because Zig finally found something he was good at

Also binge watched Hell’s Kitchen and Food Network while residing with the Matlin’s

Tried baking but just can’t get into it like he can with cooking

His boss Chef Kaz became a second mom to him

He's actually really good at art, loves sketching portraits of landscapes

Prefers black and white though :)

Towards the end of season 12, sometime before Karma Police I think that's when Zig joined the gang, but was obviously discreet about it because he literally just joined it. this is just my personal head canon following context clues. I noticed Zig and Damon sporting new threads (Damon has a nicer jacket, and different pair of jeans other than his uniform khakis in Karma Police P.T. 1 & 2) Also if you pay attention in Zombie Pt. 1 when he shows up to the Torres party, he has a phone. But merely a few episodes ago he referred to himself as, “the idiot who can’t afford a phone.”

Damon joined Tiny’s gang first, then Zig. But Damon moved out to a different neighborhood and got caught up with the enemy gang. I headcanon that their leader got arrested so Damon took over forming his own gang.

Zig got his phone through Tiny’s gang, specifically Vince. It just makes the most sense to me.

Tiny was blunt and told him to get a haircut and cut all the sleeves off his shirts, the emo bangs didn’t make him intimidating enough

Post Next Class: Him and his family are finally talking again, he visits them on holidays or whenever he is in the Toronto area

He attended a culinary school in California thanks to Maya’s encouragement

She’s proud of her little successful chef :)

[valkblue]

Let’s get to know everyone a little bit better.

8. 13. 14. 21. 22. 29. 32. 37. 44. 48. 50. 68. 74. 75. 77. 84. 92. 96. 100. 108. 114. 115. 120. 126. 132. 133. 146. 153. 163. 165. 169. 172.

Bonus points if there are illustrations or quotes to justify your answers. ✨

Wow, thank you Anon! (I mean... "Anon"... 👀) You really want to read all this?!

8. Who has the worst luck?

Zak, maybe. He's adamant in staying out of trouble, but trouble keeps on finding him!

13. Do/Did any of your characters have large ears they had to grow into as a kid?

Ulrik... Nah, they're still big. 🤡 So, it would be Altair!

14. Are any of your characters nonverbal?

Ash probably, and Juliva.

21. Do any of your characters have heterochromia?

Ash! She's my only character whith heterochromia, and it wasn't even intended at first. But, writing her background story and the part where she's gravely wounded during a hunting accident changed one of her natural green eyes to a blue-ish hue.

22. Do any of your characters have someone named after them? Or are they named after someone else?

Altair isn't the only "Altair" branch in his very extensive family tree, and also Mereel (one of the kids rescued by the Mandos on Aq Vetina in "The Foundlings") has obviously been named after Mand'alore Jaster Mereel.

29. Are any of your characters nameless? (In that there is no legal record of them existing, they just don’t have names in canon, or history remembers them but not their name?)

... Not one that I talked about here, but he's only known as "Sarge".

32. Do you have any characters who are twins?

Yep! Jo and Josh, Merry's cousins. And Guten and Borg, Ash's adoptive brothers (she's the adopted one).

37. Did any of your characters have a fever they almost died from as a child?

Ash again! After the hunting accident, she almost died while being treated because of said fever. Luckily, Walter and the Crone were good at healing people... 😰

44. Are any of your characters overshadowed by other siblings? Or have parents who clearly have a favorite? (ex: Boromir and Faramir)

Vivian, by her baby sister. She loved her, but so did her parents and she felt left aside. And sadly, she didn't imagine it even though she might have exaggerated it all in her child's mind...

48. Are any of your characters apprentices?

Ash was, Zak too... And Elara, somewhat. But also the main character of a fantasy story with dragons I wrote long time ago.

50. Are any of your characters Good Dads ™?

Neal, even though he isn't around as much as he should, but Korben too. I think Din's biological father (and mother!!) was exactly what Canderous would praise against stupid Dantooine farmers whinging about not knowing what to do to protect and save their children, and Korben made a point for Din to remember them and their courage daily. Korben had a son and a foundling before Din, so he knew already what loss and pain could do to a child and how to handle it... even though after his son and foundling left the covert, he wasn't too eager to take another under his care. Until he saw that silent kid mesmerized by the controls of his ship... 😊

68. Are any of your characters intimidatingly beautiful?

Personally, I'd say Juliva and Litti (because Ana Torv and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are just gorgeous 😍). But none has been written to be seen or recognized as such. I'm not sure Isaac (Juliva's brother in arms and now husband) even noticed how pretty I think she is, and Ela just loved how nice and caring Litti was with her.

74.  Are any of your characters associated with flowers?

... none that I've ever talked about here either. (She's called Lily.)

75: Do any of your characters wear glasses, sunglasses, goggles, or monocles?

Elara wears goggles, Leona wears glasses after a long, tiring day and Vivian and Merry wear sunglasses anytime they need. No monocles but I feel like Anton could fit in here too, because of his stupid gunner helmet 😝

77. Have any of your characters had to kill a friend?

I... don't think so?! 😲 But I have a gnawing doubt now.

84. Do any of your characters have gaps in their teeth or are missing teeth?

Vespera had a gap between her front teeth when she was a child. But not anymore.

92. Have any of your characters started and/or led a revolution?

Vivian started a revolution, somewhat. But if not her, then Ash. Not exactly a revolution though. More like raids?!?! It was against bandits and highwaymen so I'm not sure it can apply as "a revolution" though...

96. Which character is The Proudest ™ of their kids?

Crahl, for starters. All the kids he trained are his pride and joy. But Elara too! She's so proud of Jakem even though he's not her son, and now she's so proud of Tip-yip too!!! She doesn't understand SHIT about all that Jedi stuff but she doesn't care all too much either, so... What she sees is that he knows a lot of stuff, and understand even more!! And that's all she needs. 💖

100. Are any of your characters queer?

Well, Elara? Her most loving and lasting relationship was with a woman.

108. Are any of your characters dogs?

Astro and Nerio. The first is [REDACTED]'s dog and the second is Altair's.

114. Do any of your characters insist on going by their fullname rather than a nickname?

Hmm. I think I have more characters doing the very opposite of that and preferring to go by completely different names like Zak using the name of his dead best friend, Ulrik being known under specific names by his snitches and other contacts, Vivian trying not to trigger Lawrence's script by using her college nickname/username in the park, Elara having a heap of nicknames and monikers given who's talking to her because she can't bear to hear people she barely know call her "Ela" like her parents, brother and Din did...

Well! Now that I think of it, Elara would be one of them! She'd rather be called "Elara" or even by her family name than to be called "Ela" by strangers!

115. Do any of your characters have an honorary father figure?

Ash could count Walter (the grumpy asshole who taught her how to become a demonist) as an honorary father figure, I guess?! 🤣

120. Do any of your characters have PTSD?

Sadly, a few yes. Vivian and Ulrik were my only shell shocked characters, and Vespera has been added to the roster now... because of awful things she recently saw and had to run from during one of our game session! 😭

126. Are any of your characters on good terms/still friends with an ex?

Elara! Litti is still a very good friend of her.

132. Who is the precious cinnamon roll?

Answered here! But I could add Mereel too! This kid is the sweetest there is in all the galaxy.

133. Have any of your characters ever been caught in a fire or explosion?

First, there was Zak.....

"There was a mosquito in the basement... so I threw a match in the powder kegs."

And now, little spoiler for upcoming chapters of Lost and Found, even though he isn't exactly *my* character:

146. Were any of your characters disowned or abandoned by their parents?

Ulrik, kinda. His mother helped him out of the house because the tension with his *cough* 'father' *cough* was getting out of hand. So she caught him as he was planning to flee on his own, gave him a few aquilas, and kissed him farewell and good luck. 🥺

153: Do any of your characters embody the spirit of a flapper? (Bonus points for style and or lifestyle)

A "secondary-ish" character in my Westworld series: Marge, a colleague of Vivian's. Also Adelaide and Leona.

163: Are any of your characters autistic? (If so, do they have special interests and what are they?)

... according to @hathorik , Elara would be... ?!?! Even though she hasn't been written to be.

She loves numbers and languages, but I don't know if these interests are any special! Speeder bikes, maybe???

165: Who is a “girls just wanna have fun” character?

Marge again! She's boisterous and a very big mouth but I think she's hidding a lot of anxiety behind her behavior... (PUN INTENDED)

169: Are any of your characters married to the sea?

Does Elara count? Not exactly the sea but space... Litti can tell that you can't keep Ela on the ground for too long.

172: Do any of your characters hold a grudge against someone?

Answered here!

[ao3feed-crimeboys]

The Blade Days

by Simpo2211

Tommy Innes was always a loud and bright child. The world however, is never a kind place. Especially to ones who never knew the taste of what a family is. For over a decade, he has lived vicariously through the main characters of the web novel The Blade Days (TBD). After a decade of reading, he receives a message from the author. —--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fear was the only thing driving Tommy to hide. Hands trembling and his breath shuddered.

Who was he?

“He was the missing sun of the Antarctic Empire. The lost treasure.”

(Tommy gets isekai to his favorite novel and proceeds to fuck everyone over by trying to avoid everyone with baby Fundy sticking to him like a glue.)

Words: 2383, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Minecraft (Video Game), Dream SMP

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: Gen

Characters: Wilbur Soot, Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade's Chat (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Phil Watson | Philza, Fundy (Video Blogging RPF), Cara | CaptainPuffy, Sam | Awesamdude, Toby Smith | Tubbo, Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Luke | Punz, Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Noah Brown | Foolish Gamers, Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Darryl Noveschosch | BadBoyHalo, Zak Ahmed | Skeppy, Kristin Rosales Watson

Relationships: Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF) & Wilbur Soot

Additional Tags: Isekai, BAMF TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Wilbur Soot, Antarctic Emperor Phil Watson | Philza, Prince TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Prince Wilbur Soot, Protective Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Dark Sleepy Bois Inc, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Running Away, Farmer Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), General Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Good Sibling Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Kid TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Baby Floris | Fundy

[emiraxtemel]

+ ZAK  FARMER’S MARKET

Atlas is usually a better judge of character (well, not really, but Emira tries to give him the benefit of the doubt most of the time). Except for today. Saturday had rolled around and she figured they’d trek to the Farmer’s Market, missing the local ones she would go to in New York. She’d just paid for some fresh scones when Atlas suddenly tugged at her leash, nearly jumping at someone who happened to be carrying bag of what Emira assumes was some sort of sandwich with the way her dog was sniffing the air. “Shit, sorry,” she begins before actually looking at the individual in question. Zak is actually in the city. At least Bella had warned her. Not that she needed warning. She’d done nothing to him, after all. Still, the circumstances surrounding his incarceration and the end of her and Bella’s friendship hadn’t been great by any stretch of the imagination. "Atlas, down,” she says with a nod at Bella’s old (current? she hadn’t asked...) flame, a face she was more than familiar with after years spent in each other’s company in New York. “I swear I feed him. We’re still working on his self control.” Several years after getting him maybe but still working on it! @zakariaseklund​

​

[zahroreadsthings]

'It's not a head-cutter!' Zak was saying scornfully. 'It's just a rusty old tool like farmers use for cutting stalks to feed the hogs.'

'A head-cutter!' Pieter insisted.

'Whatever it is, don't touch it!' Keelin shouted.

Tetanus-conscious king

[jcmarchi]

D-Lab off-grid brooder saves chicks and money using locally manufactured thermal batteries

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/d-lab-off-grid-brooder-saves-chicks-and-money-using-locally-manufactured-thermal-batteries/

D-Lab off-grid brooder saves chicks and money using locally manufactured thermal batteries

MIT D-Lab students and instructors are improving the efficacy and economics of a brooder technology for newborn chicks that utilizes a practical, local resource: beeswax.

Developed through participatory design with agricultural partners in Cameroon, their Off-Grid Brooder is a solution aimed at improving the profitability of the African nation’s small- and medium-scale poultry farms. Since it is common for smallholders in places with poor electricity supply to tend open fires overnight to keep chicks warm, the invention might also let farmers catch up on their sleep.

“The target is eight hours. If farmers can sustain the warmth for eight hours, then they get to sleep,” says D-Lab instructor and former student Ahmad (Zak) Zakka SM ’23, who traveled to Cameroon in May to work on implementing brooder improvements tested at the D-Lab, along with D-Lab students, collaborators from African Solar Generation (ASG), and the African Diaspora Council of Switzerland – Branch Cameroon (CDAS–BC).

Poultry farming is heavily concentrated in lower- and middle-income countries, where it is an important component of rural economies and provides an inexpensive source of protein for residents. Raising chickens is fraught with economic risk, however, largely because it is hard for small-scale farmers to keep newborn chicks warm enough to survive (33 to 35 degrees Celsius, or 91 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on age). After the cost of feed, firewood used to heat the chick space is the biggest input for rural poultry farmers.

According to D-Lab researchers, an average smallholder in Cameroon using traditional brooding methods spends $17 per month on firewood, achieves a 10 percent profit margin, and experiences chick mortality that can be as high as a total loss due to overheating or insufficient heat. The Off-Grid Brooder is designed to replace open fires with inexpensive, renewable, and locally available beeswax — a phase-change material used to make thermal batteries.

ASG initially developed a brooder technology, the SolarBox, that used photovoltaic panels and electric batteries to power incandescent bulbs. While this provided effective heating, it was prohibitively expensive and difficult to maintain. In 2020, students from the D-Lab Energy class took on the challenge of reducing the cost and complexity of the SolarBox heating system to make it more accessible to small farmers in Cameroon. Through participatory design — a collaborative approach that involves all stakeholders in early stages of the design process — the team discovered a unique solution. Beeswax stored in a used glass container (such as a mayonnaise jar) is melted using a double boiler over a fire and then installed inside insulated brooder boxes alongside the chicks. As the beeswax cools and solidifies, it releases heat for several hours, keeping the brooder within the temperature range that chicks need to grow and develop. Farmers can then recharge the cooled wax batteries and repeat the process again and again. 

“The big challenge was how to get heat,” says D-Lab Research Scientist Daniel Sweeney, who, with Zakka, co-teaches two D-Lab classes, 2.651/EC.711 (Introduction to Energy in Global Development), and 2.652/EC.712 (Applications of Energy in Global Development). “Decoupling the heat supplied by biomass (wood) from the heat the chicks need at night in the brooder, that’s the core of the innovation here.”

D-Lab instructors, researchers, and students have tested and tuned the system with partners in Cameroon. A research box constructed during a D-Lab trip to Cameroon in January 2023 worked well, but was “very expensive to build,” Zakka says. “The research box was a proof of concept in the field. The next step was to figure out how to make it affordable,” he continues.

A new brooder box, made entirely of locally sourced recycled materials at 5 percent of the cost of the research prototype, was developed during D-Lab’s January 2024 trip to Cameroon. Designed and produced in collaboration with CDAS-BC, the new brooder is much more affordable, but its functionality still needs fine-tuning. From late-May through mid-June, the D-Lab team, led by Zakka, worked with Cameroonian collaborators to improve the system again. This time, they assessed the efficacy of using straw, a readily available and low-cost material, arranged in panels to insulate the brooder box.

The MIT team was hosted by CDAS-BC, including its president and founder Carole Erlemann Mengue and secretary and treasurer Kathrin Witschi, who operate an organic poultry farm in Afambassi, Cameroon. “The students will experiment with the box and try to improve the insulation of the box without neglecting that the chicks will need ventilation,” they say.

In addition, the CDAS-BC partners say that they hoped to explore increasing the number of chicks that the box can keep warm. “If the system could heat 500 to 1,000 chicks at a time,” they note, “it would help farmers save firewood, to sleep through the night, and to minimize the risk of fire in the building and the risk of stepping on chicks while replacing firewood.” 

Earlier this spring, Erlemann Mengue and Witschi tested the low-cost Off-Grid Brooder Box, which can hold 30 to 40 chicks in its current design.

“They were very interested in partnering with us to evaluate the technology. They are running the tests and doing a lot of technical measurement to track the temperature inside the brooder over time,” says Sweeney, adding that the CDAS-BC partners are amassing datasets that they send to the MIT D-Lab team. 

Sweeney and Zakka, along with PhD candidate Aly Kombargi, who worked on the research box in Cameroon last year, hope to not only improve the functionality of the Off-Grid Poultry Brooder but also broaden its use beyond Cameroon.

“The goal of our trip was to have a working prototype, and the goal since then has been to scale this up,” Kombargi says. “It’s absolutely scalable.”

Concurring that “the technology should work across developing countries in small-scale poultry sectors,” Zakka says this spring’s D-Lab trip included workshops for area poultry farmers to teach them about benefits of the Off-Grid Brooder and how to make their own. 

“I’m excited to see if we can get people excited about pushing this as a business … to see if they would build and sell it to other people in the community,” Zakka says.

Adds Sweeney, “This isn’t rocket science. If we have some guidance and some open-source information we could share, I’m pretty sure (farmers) could put them together on their own.”

Already, he says, partners identified through MIT’s networks in Zambia and Uganda are building their own brooders based on the D-Lab design.

MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS), which supports research, innovation, and cross-disciplinary collaborations involving water and food systems, awarded the Off-Grid Brooder project a $25,000 research and development grant in 2022. The program is “pleased that the project’s approach was grounded in engagement with MIT students and community collaborators,” says Executive Director Renee Robins. “The participatory design process helped produce innovative prototypes that are already making positive impacts for smallholder poultry farmers.”

That process and the very real impact on communities in Cameroon is what draws students to the project and keeps them committed.

Sweeney says a recent D-Lab design review for the chick brooder highlighted that the project continued to attract the attention and curiosity of students who participated in earlier stages and still want to be involved.

“There’s something about this project. There’s this whole tribe of students that are still active on the broader project,” he says. “There’s something about it.”

[himynameisgrapes]

Dumb calve

She won't and she doesn't care that she will and you're waiting. Fuck thist and tshat. I'm going fucking bananas and I forgot that Richard Scary name. There no end other than my future. If it follows I could never stay focused anyway. Eh, feck it. I'm kill the bandit and spare the bastards. That last was a cluster of cells... the laughs in the child protective services court date. I deserve to kill you. Ugly little you. You fucked wanna be Zak. I despise your retched existence you piece of abused and abusive shat. Trouble little human who sat in a tree am I. No pale other than my moon in aries. I said wha?.... no dice baby, you're in the joking corner. No splash-zone to put out your fires. Cry yourself to death. So sleepy and the suffocated.......

Canary. Venom. Delta. Bushy. Crane. Gook. Delphine. Shoulder. Ring

Spaghetti. Mommy. Farmer. Taffy. Laurel

..... So sleepy like a boot to the head.

[ledenews]

Youth Services System, Inc. Introduces Four New Board Members

Youth Services System, Inc. (YSS) is excited to welcome four new members to its volunteer Board of Directors: Amanda Bennett, Penn Kurtz, Jennifer Rohrig and David Yaeger. Amanda Bennett is the current Director of Alumni Affairs at West Liberty University. She was born and raised in Wheeling, and graduated from John Marshall High School in 2009. Bennett earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management in 2013 and her MBA in 2018, both from West Liberty University. She is a former Board Member for Harmony House, and has volunteered with the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley and the Wheeling Soup Kitchen. Bennett has also coached for the Special Olympics and provided mentorship through the Vineyard Church and other volunteer opportunities through the area Chambers of Commerce. She currently lives in Wheeling with her fiancé Matt and their two-year old son Owen. Penn Kurtz is a consultant for Medic Management Group LLC. He graduated from Ohio University in 1977 with a degree in Business Administration, and moved to Wheeling in 1982. Kurtz coached Women’s Basketball at Wheeling Central Catholic for 35 seasons. He also serves on the Welty Board. He has been married to his wife Jeanne for 40 years, and they have three daughters – Abbey, Julia and Molly. Jennifer Rohrig is the Manager of Business Retention and Expansion in the Northern Panhandle for the West Virginia Department of Economic Development. She is a graduate of John Marshall High School and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from Bethany College. Rohrig also has a Master’s Degree in Strategic Communication from American University. She is a past president of the Junior League of Wheeling, a member of the Oglebay Institute Museums Committee, a member of the Moundsville Rotary, and a team captain for the American Heart Association’s annual Ohio Valley Heart Walk. Prior to her current occupation, she worked as a Partnership Specialist for the 2020 Census and as a pharmaceutical sales representative. Rohrig currently lives in Wheeling with her husband, Shawn. David Yaeger was born in Wheeling, but raised in Chicago. He moved back to Wheeling to attend Wheeling Central Catholic High School for his junior and senior years. Yaeger graduated from West Virginia University and worked as a Bank Examiner before returning to obtain his Master’s Degree in Business. He worked in Minneapolis and St. Paul banks for 14 years before returning to the Wheeling area to be President of Farmers and Merchants Bank in Bellaire, Ohio. David worked for seven years with Progressive Bank in Wheeling before spending the remainder of his career at WesBanco. He retired from WesBanco after a career of 43 years, mostly spent in commercial lending as the Senior Vice President of Business Banking. Yaeger has three grown children who are currently following their dreams and making their own way. The current YSS Board of Directors Officers are Rod Lee, Chair; Missy Ashmore, Vice Chair; Zak Zatezalo, Secretary; Justin Pastorius, Finance Committee Chair Also serving on the Board are Rick Davis, Emily Freeman-Waters, Cynthia Morrison, and Matt Porter. Read the full article