Passive Solar Green House
Designed as an ecological four season garden and specifically positioned true south, our passive solar green house provides the highest amount of sun exposure throughout the whole day, allowing us to grow efficiently throughout all four seasons.
In the greenhouse, we are implementing hydroponic growing systems. These systems enable us to grow plants in a soil-less medium, using mineral nutrient solutions to feed the plants in water instead of soil. Hydroponic growing systems work best for transplants and for germinating. These conditions are best for plants like kale, spinach, and beans.
We use several types of hydroponic growing systems: ebb & flow units, or flood & drain systems, in which the plants sit in a tray of clay pellets while nutrient rich water runs through the bottom of the tray, the excess water flows through pipes to the next tray, and continues circulation throughout the system.
We also use growing towers, which use an advanced form of hydroponics, which allows for a more bountiful harvest quicker and with less water.
Lastly, we use a drip system that works best for growing sprouts from grains like wheat and barley. The resulting fodder sprouts provide fresh food for our livestock. When ready for harvesting, the fodder looks like trays of grass. We mainly use this feed for the rabbits and chickens, as the pigs are more interested in corn.