While I lament having little understanding of what we learned in German class the last few days and taking family time to completely forget what little I did know. A few ideas came out in more detail. Now it is simply a race to get the ideas down on paper before the “norm” of life for many creeps in and says, “Why do you want to spend time making something better?”
If I have done my calculations correctly, the lab in Colorado Springs will be sufficient to do year round testing as well as provide an interesting place to grow enough food to help feed some people that need good nutrition. One of the more time consuming problems we had with Agrowbox was how to get more fruits into the diet, as fruit trees traditionally take a few years before one ever sees a decent harvest. I came across a farmer here who grows apple trees in containers. This area is something I would like to work further on to produce yields.
I also will call the concrete company later today to get someone up on the mountain to see if they can get premix concrete trucks up the driveway in the sky. The original design was to simply put barn structure on top of the site. With the off the grid power issue, a house that was optimized for the location and solar production that I nicknamed “the wedge” gave way to a really interesting building that the barn builder said “that is ugly” yet, everyone else says, “wow, that is cool”
So…it might be a concrete building, as the only real fear I have in that are is wildfires. Last year was the flood where more rain fell in 24 hours than the annual yearly rainfall when the actual design of the space came forth, so, I guess with the passive solar and the way the buildings will be designed and cut into the mountain – why not concrete? God forbid some fire does happen through the valley, I doubt anything would actually be able to stop it. But at least the rebuild would be easier?
if anyone has great knowledge for fruit production in containers (we have the berries down quite well) but like apple, pear, etc…please get in touch.
I am getting excited to build the space. There is something really odd, yet freeing about being able to produce your own food supply in a world where the average food travels 1000 miles in the back of a truck. While it does require a lot of planning – it is not rocket science with difficulty- just consistent work.
The other part of the summer garden, if I have done my solar calculations well is the capability for a several hundred meter terrace garden (I just realized how big it could be if I wished) that would waste minimal water, allow an abundant yield, and…You know…. people ask why I write in this blog space.
It isn’t about anyone finding anything. But sometimes just typing away, unlocks ideas, like what just happened in my mind...a clear image of a what a possible solution to the problem may be.
I don’t really know if anyone gets anything out of my rambles. What I do know is I enjoy writing the rambles, as it is a little thread of normal English in my life that is turned around 180 degrees in Switzerland.
More importantly, there are things we wanted to do with the Agrowbwox and Agrowvillage that people in the not for profit world don’t find popular. That being, we want to come up with solutions that will make the need for us obsolete, not using the problem as a way to keep an industry of making people aware of an issue with pretty advertising campaigns - yet, really not having any solutions to the problem.
Let me go sketch…funny. I had to hump the chainsaws up the hill to get the road where one could drive up it. I used to hate that walk each morning. You are alone in the middle of the woods, a little cold, and the first thing you do is carry up more equipment each day. The altitude, while not super high, was high enough to make the walk difficult. The reward was a cup of coffee made while the sun crested the other mountain at dawn.
Sometimes you just do what you have to. No matter how abnormal it seems to the normal world.
Let me get this sketch down on paper before i forget the image in my mind.
Have a great day