Winter Garden “Solviva” Greenhouse

Winter production is critical to local food security.  That is true whether you are a farmer, like we are, or a householder.  We want to test out Anna Edey’s Solviva design for a large greenhouse here on the farm to see if we can replicate her results.  The design incorporates both lateral and vertical growing spaces without the use of hydroponics.  It utilises appropriate technologies including a waterwall, earthlung filter, and integrated chicken housing to minimise energy consumption to zero (or near zero) and maximise nutrient exchange.  We’re hoping to go a step further and use as many materials pulled from the waste stream as possible (glass windows, plumbing, brick, etc.).  This last step, we hope, will keep the build costs lower, but will obviously be the biggest variable for those wishing to replicate our project.

Our build will also re-use existing infrastructure (the front of the old barn) for medicinal and culinary mushroom growing, sales space and housing for 4 farmworkers.