Alaska Chat III (Fairbanks, Homer: avg, nurseries, Publix)

[SityData]

but that is very cool that people are farming, and that they're doing it successfully enough to make money

People have been farming in Alaska since before the 1950's
Government gave away / sold land to people wanting to farm up here.
Stores get fresh fruit delivered even in the Arctic, Kotz & Barrow.

Agriculture so far in Alaska has not been able to keep up with the demand

There are four principal farming areas in Alaska: the Tanana Valley, the area near Homer on Kenai Peninsula, parts of Kodiak Island, and the Matanuska Valley.

[ShipOfFools42]

^ That's awesome. Of course in the Arctic, those fresh fruits and veggies are not exactly affordable, but hey, at least they're there. Really, the point of the words you quoted was supposed to be that in this economy, it is cool that they are able to make money farming. A lot of farmers around here have closed up shop. Not all, but a good many.

[SityData]

Originally Posted by ShipOfFools42

^ That's awesome. Of course in the Arctic, those fresh fruits and veggies are not exactly affordable, but hey, at least they're there. Really, the point of the words you quoted was supposed to be that in this economy, it is cool that they are able to make money farming. A lot of farmers around here have closed up shop. Not all, but a good many.

I have never heard anyone complain about the prices in Barrow or Kotz,

but in the smaller villages well; Yesterday, a little girl in Pt. Hope received $20 for babysitting. Of course she ran straight for the store. She bought a bag of chips and small pack of cheese. That total was $18.00!!

I have often (in the past) spent $100 on food in that store and came out of the store with a brown bag, half full.

[ShipOfFools42]

^ Yeah, that's what I meant. It's expensive to buy food in the bush.

I was just thinking Sapperdoc: how in the hell did you have two dropped transmissions out of your F-350 if it was a manual transmission? I mean, the most I've heard of people having to replace on a manual is a clutch and maybe a gear or two or a pressure plate or something. Certainly not the whole transmission, unless you were just shifting very poorly (not saying you're bad at shifting or anything). With those big truck transmissions, I believe it's much more important to at least rev match your downshifts, if not rev matching before moving the gear selector into gear. If the RPMs match up as you move the stick into gear, it will just slide right in. Otherwise, you could have some major grinding going on. That's why truckers (who drive semi's) always pause during shifts: they're rev matching before they put the selector in gear. Otherwise... crrrsshhsshshggg. Not pleasant.

If you already knew all that, then I'm sure that came across as quite patronizing, and I apologize.

Sorry, I know that wasn't Alaska related, but that was really bugging me. I've never heard of having a dropped manual transmission in my life.

[freezengirl]

Originally Posted by ShipOfFools42

^ Yeah, that's what I meant. It's expensive to buy food in the bush.

I was just thinking Sapperdoc: how in the hell did you have two dropped transmissions out of your F-350 if it was a manual transmission? I mean, the most I've heard of people having to replace on a manual is a clutch and maybe a gear or two or a pressure plate or something. Certainly not the whole transmission, unless you were just shifting very poorly (not saying you're bad at shifting or anything). With those big truck transmissions, I believe it's much more important to at least rev match your downshifts, if not rev matching before moving the gear selector into gear. If the RPMs match up as you move the stick into gear, it will just slide right in. Otherwise, you could have some major grinding going on. That's why truckers (who drive semi's) always pause during shifts: they're rev matching before they put the selector in gear. Otherwise... crrrsshhsshshggg. Not pleasant.

If you already knew all that, then I'm sure that came across as quite patronizing, and I apologize.

Sorry, I know that wasn't Alaska related, but that was really bugging me. I've never heard of having a dropped manual transmission in my life.

Sorry kiddo, but even this old gal has helped drop a manual transmission. Grant it was many years ago now out of an old 54 International pick up.

[Bob Blockus]

I am having more crystal light than soda coca cola...

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/282172_2235903099704_1311761048_2652972_3212810_n. jpg (broken link)

[SityData]

.. ... burp!

[Sapperdoc]

Originally Posted by ShipOfFools42

^ Yeah, that's what I meant. It's expensive to buy food in the bush.

I was just thinking Sapperdoc: how in the hell did you have two dropped transmissions out of your F-350 if it was a manual transmission? I mean, the most I've heard of people having to replace on a manual is a clutch and maybe a gear or two or a pressure plate or something. Certainly not the whole transmission, unless you were just shifting very poorly (not saying you're bad at shifting or anything). With those big truck transmissions, I believe it's much more important to at least rev match your downshifts, if not rev matching before moving the gear selector into gear. If the RPMs match up as you move the stick into gear, it will just slide right in. Otherwise, you could have some major grinding going on. That's why truckers (who drive semi's) always pause during shifts: they're rev matching before they put the selector in gear. Otherwise... crrrsshhsshshggg. Not pleasant.

If you already knew all that, then I'm sure that came across as quite patronizing, and I apologize.

Sorry, I know that wasn't Alaska related, but that was really bugging me. I've never heard of having a dropped manual transmission in my life.

No offense taken sir, believe me the only folks that offended me in that situation was the Ford dealership. The first transmission grenaded a year into ownership, no explanation. Ford dealer says "6 weeks for the free transmission to get here son, or you can upgrade and I'll have it in by the end of the week." So I paid $900 for a warranty fix so I had a truck to drive to work. 24 months later, it locks up and grenades again. Go back to the SAME dealership, service department says "aftermarket transmission, 12 month warranty, sorry you're out of luck Soldier boy." It didn't seem to phase the service manager that HIS crew put the transmission in! So the theory was, drive shaft bent/bad, ate the transmission(s). So, the same wonderful folks that helped create the situation asked for 5k to fix it. Uh, no. Last I saw of that truck. Drove a car off the lot, and resolved never to own a Ford truck again.

Just for clarity, I learned to drive on a stick, could rev shift before I had a license. Owned 2 older Ford shift trucks before that one, no problems. Severals cars as well. If I made any mistake it was probably babying the stupid thing, back and forth to work 10 miles and never needed to pull anything larger than a Harley trailer. Basically I think I was just unlucky in my truck selection. However, I'll never own a Ford again, and I will DEFINITELY not recommend anyone ever go to the dealership outside the fort. They see Soldiers coming, they can hardly hear the sound of their own voice over the CHA-CHING! in their ears.

I won't hate on Fords, people like what they like. But I'll never drive one again.

[tigre79]

Originally Posted by ShipOfFools42

Now I know I won't be able to get watermelons and canteloupes fresh at a farm stand up there

I don't know how common they are at farmers' markets, but you should be able to grow melons in greenhouse here, and maybe outdoors in the Interior, if you start them early. Plenty of people grow heat-loving fruits like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, summer squash, zucchini, etc. I've read that AK has the highest per-capita greenhouse ownership in the US, which makes sense.

[tigre79]

I had a manual tranny crash and burn in a 94 Ranger 4x4 about 10 years ago. Replaced the clutch and a couple months later the whole thing locked up on me. Ford trucks have had transmission issues for a long time.