With the arrival two weeks ago of Mr John Poxon, our long time friend, Rick has been busy constructing another Gober-Gas Tank (our cow manure powered cooking gas tank). The Gober-Gas Tanks are used every single day to cook food and especially to bake our own bread which the girls make in the kitchen oven every morning for the groups breakfast. The Gober-Gas system works without electricity and minimal labour -thus saving lots of money compared to purchased gas. Last time John was here we replaced the worst of the two gas tanks and this time we are replacing the other one.

John and Rick decided this time to try to save a little bit of money by not only buying the iron for the tank locally (and saving the transport costs) but also by bending it themselves. The massive sheets of iron had to be bent in a cylindrical shape so that they could be used as a “skin” around the outside of the drum. Rick and Eugene (our farm manager) found a business in Banbassa that lent them the use of a large press (suitable for bending the iron). The only catch was that the press was broken but after a few hours of work Rick and John were able to get it working just fine.