Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

True, but how much energy used in their manufacture, and aren't they made
from a fossil fuel source? As you said it's expensive. I was considering
the cost and wondering if anyone has ever worked out the cost effectiveness
of growing sufficient quantities to feed people adequately through the
winter months. 

Actually one would also need to factor in the energy cost of keeping plants
warm in winter since the fiberoptics won't keep up the temperature. Again,
we're talking about a large operation rather than an unused corner in a
basement or elsewhere. Also cloudy climates won't have enough sun to grow
most foods in winter. Sun-tracking servos need to see the sun to work. 

The least total energy intensive solution would probably be sun drying in
season. 

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 10/8/2007 at 12:12 AM Harold and Sue Karber wrote:

>Paul Fiber Optics or solar tubes do not use any energy whatsoever.   
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
>To: <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
>Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 1:15 PM
>Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] More on fiberoptics?
>
>
>> 
>> My answer for end of tomato season is drying, freezing, and canning. Any
>> light setup for winter growing is going to be extremely expensive for a
>> good supply of fresh tomatoes. 
>> 
>> paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>> 
>> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>> 
>> On 10/7/2007 at 9:09 AM Kate Moran wrote:
>> 
>>>Is there anyway to get some further details on how your son's fiberoptic
>>>system was set up?  It sounds like it has lots of elements that we would
>>>like to incorporate.  Up here in Wisconsin the tomatoes are ending and
>>>that is so depressing.....
>>>   
>>>  Kate
>>>  . When fiber optics were new one of 
>>>my sons ran a tube of fiber optics from outside to the basement and grew

>>>tomatoes all winter as a school project. The light from the fiber optics

>>>worked great. True it was just one plant but it worked. His Science 
>>>project was a mock space station with centrifugal force rotation, fiber 
>>>optic growing of a closed system for food which had fish for protein to 
>>>consume the worms that composted etc.. He even allowed for some fiber 
>>>optics to be used for repairs so their storage was in use growing food
>>>until 
>>>or if ever needed for repairs. He also discovered that dirt was lighter
>>>and 
>>>easier to manage than hydroponics. He never worked out all the bugs but 
>>>then he was just a pre-teen.
>>>