Hey GpsFrontier, you sound like a real go-getter! Ha! I think maybe you're my long-lost twin.
I love learning. It really doesn't make any difference what it is, as long as it's something I can possibly use later.
I just had a landscaping company come in and clear my entire acre to perfection. Over the years, areas of it were getting to a point that I couldn't keep up with it and it had to be brought back to ground zero again.
The Systems test area I'm going to build will be in "Area #1", and will also be my first production area. It'll be a 20' x 40' area.
My second area is much larger than #1 and Area #3 is twice it's size.
Combined, they are about a half acre in area. Once I have them up and running, I'll be able to see where I want to go from there.
My largest problem are the trees. When I get storms, limbs come down. That will wreck havoc on hydroponic setups below.
The sunshine on those three areas is about 70-80% full sun. Plants have always grown at a fantastic pace in all three areas.
Each area will have a plowed, cleared, root free 12" of soil covered with black plastic and screening for the "floor" and be screened in with a clear, Plexiglas roof over the plants. The soil will be prepped to ward off or kill critters and bugs.
The money for the first area will come from my pocket. Areas #2 and #3 will come from the profits of Area #1 after the produce is sold at the local farmers market.
By 2012, I plan on having all three areas pushing out veggies on a pretty massive scale.
Everyone on this site will be able to watch the construction, setup and use of all three areas. It should be a lot of fun and pretty interesting.
|