Open Source Ecology - User contributions [en]

Replicable CSA

2016-02-04T19:26:57Z

Ahoussney: /* Review */

=Methodology=

Using the [[Toothbrush Principle]] for food, the average American eats a significant amount of food that can be produced via a small CSA operation by the digital age farmer scientist.

Groceries are a $1T market in the USA alone.

Take the key crop that have large value, and find out average per person consumption. Start with those that have the highest value, and prioritize by ease of production. Taking this approach, the list may look like this:

#Chicken - seasonality addressed by freezer. 26 chickens per year average. Take a chicken of 5 lb at $2/lb, and you have $260 per person.
#Bread - nonseasonal. average of one lb per person per week. Assume 1 lb at $3/loaf, that is 56*3=$168.
#Take eggs at an average of .7 egg per day - 250 eggs per year, or 20 dozen at $3/dozen - that is $60 per person. Seasonality addressed by sheer overproduction, if a flock of 50-100 laying hens is involved.
#Lettuce - seasonality addressed by aquaponic greenhouse. 1/2 lb per week average - so say 30 heads per year - at $2/lb - $60.

That is a total of $550 per year. 50 customers like this would support a farmer scientist.

=Review=
Andre from [[Jacob Springs Farm]] - I think the CSA plan is basically good - need to refine by adding estimated costs of production and effects of seasonality - also regulations and legality complicate yoghurt, meats and in some jurisdictions eggs. Chicken meat and egg prices could be adjusted upwards - consider adjusting all prices upward in line with premium prices of the organic market.

Replicable CSA

2016-02-04T17:56:55Z

Ahoussney:

=Methodology=

Using the [[Toothbrush Principle]] for food, the average American eats a significant amount of food that can be produced via a small CSA operation by the digital age farmer scientist.

Groceries are a $1T market in the USA alone.

Take the key crop that have large value, and find out average per person consumption. Start with those that have the highest value, and prioritize by ease of production. Taking this approach, the list may look like this:

#Chicken - seasonality addressed by freezer. 26 chickens per year average. Take a chicken of 5 lb at $2/lb, and you have $260 per person.
#Bread - nonseasonal. average of one lb per person per week. Assume 1 lb at $3/loaf, that is 56*3=$168.
#Take eggs at an average of .7 egg per day - 250 eggs per year, or 20 dozen at $3/dozen - that is $60 per person. Seasonality addressed by sheer overproduction, if a flock of 50-100 laying hens is involved.
#Lettuce - seasonality addressed by aquaponic greenhouse. 1/2 lb per week average - so say 30 heads per year - at $2/lb - $60.

That is a total of $550 per year. 50 customers like this would support a farmer scientist.

=Review=
Andre from [[Jacob Springs Farm]] - I think the CSA plan is basically good - need to refine by adding estimated costs of production and effects of seasonality - also regulations and legality complicate yoghurt, meats and in some jurisdictions eggs. Chicken meat price could be adjusted upwards - consider adjusting all prices upward in line with premium prices of the organic market.

Tree Labeling

2015-09-01T11:23:29Z

Ahoussney:

To label trees permanently (a label that remains for decades):

#Use electric fence wire as the tie
#Cut a small cut piece of aluminum flashing (3/4"x5" or so) or a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5BqXnGMmh4 piece of a soda can] for the label
#Use a scribe or the tip of a 3" screw to scratch the information on the label
#Drill an 1/8" hole in the label with a portable drill
#Stick the wire into the hole, and tie to a solid tree branch by winding the wire around itself like a twist tie, being mindful of how the tree will grow, so as not to restrict the growth in future years
#Lower, side branches are best, leave the wire loop somewhat loose
#On the label, mark the year the tree was planted or marked, the genus species, or common name, and any pertinent information such as how well the tree is bearing fruit, etc.
#In the optimal scenario, input the tree into an online mapping database by taking a GPS location.