stock. If plow steel is unavailable, use cold-rolled steel.
The gussets on the back of the tine are^1 ⁄ 8 inch thick and
1 inch deep. The stand-up bar is made from the same
(^1) ⁄ 8 -inch-thick material and is welded to the tops of the
gussets the whole width of the U-bar and is ;ush with
the top of the square tubing.
Material costs are dependent upon the quantity
ordered. If bought new from a dealer, steel is usually
sold in 20-foot sections.
The U-bar makes a highly eCcient form of personal
food production possible. The design was kept simple so
that the tool could be available to anyone. Often in this
industrialized world, simple, eCcient answers to
problems are overlooked because they are thought of as
too simple or not innovative enough. Yet, for us, the U-
bar has been a breakthrough that makes Biointensive
gardening more cost effective.
We especially wish to thank William Burnett and
Robert Clark for designing and constructing the
prototype U-bar; the Stanford University Mechanical
Engineering Department; ARLO (Stanford University's
Action Research Liaison OCce); and Bill LeLand, who
was instrumental in bringing us all together.
Using the U-bar