Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Bobby G <bobbyg53211@yahoo.com>]

http://www.earthtoys.com/emagazine.php?issue_number=03.08.01&article=finch

While growing oranges in Nebraska is a bit more of a
novelty than this list is all about, it does show the
value of this type of greenhouse design.

i am thinking that the earth-sheltered greenhouse
would be definitely among the first-year projects our
land co-op would undertake. not to grow oranges in
Wisconsin, but because of the huge advantage in
season-extending combined with the intensive
mini-agriculture approach.

almost all the greenhouses in our area are the
above-ground structures that gobble energy like crazy.
the goal i have in mind would be a greenhouse that
allows for (almost) year-round growing PLUS only
"sips" energy.  

what i'm thinking is, it should be dug down into the
earth quite a ways, with only the SSE, S, and SSW
sides exposed to the sun.  the trench system for
geo-thermal heat-pumping is a great feature, but i
fear it would add enormously to the costs of such a
greenhouse. the idea is to start netting profit from
use of a greenhouse almost right from the beginning,
not to invest huge amounts in sunk costs, literally.

if there is no hillside on the land we end up
acquiring, the second notion i've had is to use the
excavation dirt from a pond which is excavated, to
create an artificial "hill" to shelter the
earth-sheltered buildings.

am i thinking in the right direction here?  i'll
probably keep drifting in these directions unless
y'all knock me on the head by showing me where my
thinking is daft...

bobby g


 
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