Not confident enough to take the full DIY approach or need a custom solution? I offer design consulting services as well as system installation and training services with two distinct approaches and price structures.
The first approach, for Southern California residents, is in-person consultations mixed with remote communication.
Our first phase is design consultation. The first step is you providing me basic information about the animals you expect to feed (current & any herd expansion considered), your facilities (where you expect to put a grow system), and your address to enable me viewing your property and livestock layout in Google Maps satellite view. Next comes an in-person site visit to enable me to take into account variables and contingencies potentially missed in the initial contact. Depending on your facility, I will take photographs and take measurements as well. After the first site visit, I will provide a series of design options for you to select from, and explain how those choices impact your ability to use existing structures or result in the need for you to provide an additional structure. If your needs will be best met by an additional structure, I will suggest some potential low cost alternatives. While I can suggest design features to consider in any structures required, placing or constructing a structure, and equipping it with proper utilities, will be your responsibility and is not part of my services. I do need to know dimensions, construction type, insulation values, utility placement, heating & cooling parameters, etc. to confirm your system design works with the structure you intend to supply. This can be a collaborative process where I suggest parameter options for you to consider when designing your structure for your draft grow system design, and after you communicate the structure design parameters you have chosen, I can finalize your grow system design. The conclusion of the design consultation phase will be my electronic presentation of a description of the design elements you have chosen, how the design fits within your facility (or facility you state you will provide prior to installation), a floor plan diagram, and an itemized materials list with current pricing. You will not receive detailed system construction diagrams or installation instructions. Materials pricing is not guaranteed, and may change depending upon market pricing changes from time of presentation to your actually purchasing system components. If the design uses existing facilities, you are ready to move directly into system component purchase and installation services. If the design you have chosen requires adding a structure to your location, I recommend waiting to order system components and scheduling installation until after you have the structure and utilities completed.
For the system component purchase and installation phase, you purchase everything pre-paid through me. The many system components come from a number of different suppliers, and it is much simpler for me to handle ordering when dealing with a custom design I will install. If time has elapsed between design consultation and this phase, prices may have changed for system components. Also, if time has elapsed between the first two phases, any manufacturer discontinuations may require component substitutions or system redesign. Substitutions will not entail additional charges. System redesign will.
The final phase, system management training and follow-up, commences upon completion of installation, and the number of sessions depends upon your needs. We will schedule a final troubleshooting and problem prevention session once your system has produced its first crop and you are feeding your animals, and will take photographs documenting your project at that session.
I bill in-person services in several components. For design consultation, you will need to pre-pay a base project consult fee, which includes one in-person site visit. The fee amount varies according to your project size and complexity. Locations further than 35 miles from my location in Anza, Ca. will also incur a transportation fee in the amount of the IRS standard mileage rate. Additional on-site visits during the design consultation phase will be billed an hourly rate plus mileage, which must be paid in full before the final design presentation. For System component purchase, you will pay retail price plus shipping, handling, and tax. If components aren't shipped directly to you, then additional handling and delivery fees may be required, especially if we need to store a large number/size of components or pull a trailer to deliver your system. I charge a base installation and training fee, which varies depending on your system size and simplicity to install, along with a mileage surcharge for locations further than 35miles from me. If your facility isn't ready for installation upon our arrival, you will be charged an additional hourly rate for consultation on facility readiness, including drive time. One initial training session, and the final troubleshooting & prevention session, are included in the base fee. Additional training or troubleshooting sessions are billed on an hourly rate including drive-time, plus mileage. This explanation of fees may be more than you want right now, but I personally don't like buying from companies with hidden fees, thus my being up front with you here.
If you are ready to commence the design phase and want to know current rates, contact me by email with the following information. Detail the type and number of animals for which you plan to grow living feed. Note such information as whether they are miniature, standard, or oversized breeds (or individuals. If possible provide live weights for individuals and the herd as a whole. Explain information which impacts feed consumption, such as activity levels & whether any are working, performance, or endurance animals, how many are breeding stock, how many are nursing a litter at any one time, how many juveniles you may need to feed at any time, how many are dairy animals, and whether you are finishing any for slaughter. If you have any other reason to suggest 2% of bodyweight daily ration is inadequate, state the percentage of bodyweight you want to use as the design basis. Include a description of the facility you hope will work for your grow area, or indicate if you intend to supply a separate structure based on our design consultation work product. If intending to use an existing facility, do you have at least 4'x6' of heated and cooled indoor space (give or take for pathways and wash facilities) with electrical, water, and drain access? If so, attach a .pdf file format floor plan of the facility indicating doors, windows, utility locations, number of electrical circuits available (and whether any can be dedicated), whether adding electrical capacity is feasible (if growing for more than 10 equine sized animals), ventilation equipment locations (if any), heating equipment type and location (if any), cooling equipment type and location (if any), and any relevant dimensions you are able to provide. If you have a cart you expect to use for transporting your harvest out of the grow room, include dimensions and turn radius characteristics to consider in aisle and passageway allowances. Finally, include the physical address of your site, and verify that Google Maps satellite view is an accurate representation of structures and livestock areas on your property.
For customers outside of Southern California, I can provide most of the same services as for local customers (except installation and in-person consults). The process and fee structure is similar, except all communication is remote via electronic means and voice, and there are no extra mileage fees or travel time charges.
