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Contribute $10 or more
Limited to 100 ContributorsOne pack of heirloom organic seeds from a selection of from a selection of annual or perennial vegetables. (We will contact you for selection.)
5 contributor(s) chose this reward. -
Contribute $21 or more
Limited to 500 ContributorsA 5 pound bag of premium worm castings, from the worms that we nirture our selves. An excellent fertilizer for indoor and outdoor plants.
8 contributor(s) chose this reward. -
Contribute $51 or more
Limited to 24 ContributorsA one pound bag of MYKEPro (mycorrhizal fungi). Mycorrhizal fungi created a mutually beneficial relationships with plants through connecting to the root systems, which affectively increases the roots collection zone by up to 100x. This promotes plant health and vigorous growth.
7 contributor(s) chose this reward. -
Contribute $101 or more
Limited to 100 ContributorsA 35 pound bucket of premium worm castings, produced by our own worms.
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Contribute $501 or more
Limited to 24 ContributorsSPIN farming manual, 35 pound bucket of worm castings, and 1 pound bag of MYKEPro (mycorrhizal fungi). SPIN farming manual is an easy to learn, non-technical farming manual that can help even beginners learn to grow a profitable farm even from very small acreage.
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Contribute $1,000 or more
Limited to 10 ContributorsThe 5-DVD permaculture set, the SPIN farming manual, a 35 pound bucket of worm castings, a bottle of worm Pop!, and a one pound bag of MYKEPro (mycorrhizal fungi). The DVD set is an extremely popular and informative series of dvd's all about permaculture. Combined with the other goodies in this reward, you will be on your way to food independence!
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'MEGGA-watt?' Rise of the Food Garage
Fresh off of a win in 'The Carbon Farmer's 'Face Your Footprint' contest, The 'MEGGA-watt?' Project (Micro-Energy Generating Garage Assembly) is a demonstration / prototype to turn everyday detached garages from simple storage units (aka 'car-holes') into carbon-positive food growing and renewable energy-generating systems using urban permaculture design.
The basic concept is to partner a garage with an attached greenhouse and renewable energy to create sustainable 4-season growing systems with minimal fossil fuel input that serves both practical and recreational purposes. Owners of a MEGGA can then customize how they want the system to function and what and how they want to grow.
Surrounded by an urban perennial food forest, this project prototype takes a 24'x26' two-car garage and couples it with a 23ft off-grid 4-season geodesic dome greenhouse. The greenhouse will be accessed through the heated garage which will host:
*a 6000L aquaponic system to raise tilapia and red claw crayfish,
*a rainwater catchment system to fill the fish tanks and water the greenhouse,
*a 7'x9'-32-tray aeroponic system for growing microgreens and wheat grass,
*an 8'x8' walk-in cold storage,
*a solar PV array on the south-facing exterior wall,
*and in the greenhouse a climate battery and rocket mass heater (coppiced wood-fired) hot tub!
There will even be enough room in the garage for a small workshop and/or one parking space!
The Designer
Developed by Permaculture Designer, Rene Michalak at a 1/5-acre urban homestead, this project will demonstrate sustainable urban living to the community and the rest of the world as it leverages the practice of urban homesteading and the success of the existing edible forest and SPIN-gardens on site.
Budget
The fundraising goal is $15,000 to purchase the remaining components of the MEGGA-watt, and to develop a complete business plan including engineering blueprints for the prototype. Once the prototype is complete it can be scaled up for commercial use (e.g., new residential developments) and incorporation into urban agriculture projects in the region (e.g., Community Urban Farms). The business plan will help us secure the investment dollars to complete the prototype and both sales and consulting fees will help generate revenue for an urban ag worker cooperative with contributions going back to ReThink Red Deer to help make the organization financially sustainable.
Open Source
In support of Open-Source Ecology, the project component details and general system plans have been made available through a Creative Commons license - please visit www.foodgarage.ca or visit the 9-part blog!
