S574: Weaving (Equipment)

The first of the categories I tackled was what equipment/machines I will need.  I went through three different books, all of which were organized pretty similarly.  They went in order of the machines you would need from preparing the ground to harvesting your crop.  As a researcher, this set up made it pretty easy for me to learn what I would need.  I went through all three books and made a list of the machines that each one listed, excluding ones that were double and then looked at the list I had.  From there, I narrowed it down by reading about each one's function.  If they did the same task, I marked off the repeats.  I finally ended up with a list of equipment that I will need and ordered it in the sequence I will use it when actually farming.

One of the things I most wanted to make sure I found out--in addition to which machines I will need--was whether or not I would have to buy them.  Fortunately, two of the books I had included in the descriptions if people usually rented them.  I liked this weaving step because it really helped me to feel like I was able to handle this project.  When I had the mass of work sitting in front of me, it was a bit daunting.  However, organization is key to whittling down big work lists, so splitting my research into three groups is working out well.

While doing this work, I looked back at my chart from the wondering step of the inquiry process.  I was able to reevaluate what I answered, still needed answered, and was able to eliminate.  This made me think of the trailblazer 2.1 that I did on McKenzie's Research Cycle (Callison 56).  This model's emphasis on continuing to cycle through all of the steps before you finalize your work and report your findings was exactly what I am doing.  When I wrote that wondering chart earlier, I wasn't sure exactly where I wanted to go with the research, and the more I learn, the more focused I can make my topic.  I have decided that my questions about storing my crop and which brand of machinery is better are not what I want to focus on for my project.

However, I was able to answer my following questions:

How many machines will I need?:  8


Do I have to buy all of them?:  No, it's actually better to rent some of them.


Where could I borrow things from?:  Owning most of the equipment is actually preferable (or renting for a few things) because I will use it so much and for a long period of time.


Where will get me the best prices?/Where would I buy from?:  Buying used will get me the best deals.  I can look up equipment for sale in the local paper, go to an auction, or check the free ad papers (as an earlier comment suggested).