Polydome Concept Overview V.3 The goal of the Polydome greenhouse is to combine the best of low-tech and high-tech approaches in order to achieve a holistically sustainable agricultural production system. To test the feasibility of the concept, we modeled a “test case” greenhouse. Through the model, we show that the greenhouse is profitable, can support a local community through the production of a diverse food supply, and creates a robust and resilient food production system that can persist through time. The case study presented here is a rough approximation of what a Polydome greenhouse might look like in terms of species composition, key flows, basic technological requirements, and economic yield. We have considered a small, one-hectare model greenhouse containing several modules. There are perennial and annual crops grown in soil; a hydroponic system for fast-growing greens and herbs; a fish aquaculture system; a mushroom module; chickens; and a vermiculture composting system. All nutrient flows are designed to interlink in a cyclical fashion. The system is structured to maximize efficiency over space and time, but not at the cost of environmental damage. This onehectare model could easily be multiplied to reach any desired size. Because this is a concept and not a final design, it contains many assumptions and approximations that would need to be resolved prior to setting up an actual pilot project. However, this study can be used as a ballpark guideline for assessing the overall feasibility of Polydome. Perhaps most importantly, the method that we created for the ecosystem design process can be refined and reused with relatively little effort.1 The most significant hurdle to establishing an effective Polydome greenhouse is very likely the process of designing it such that all the elements within it work to their maximum potential. We hope that having a simplified methodology for doing this, as described later in this book, will lower the threshold for initiating such a project. 1 See the process document for a description of the method. Polydome: High Performance Polyculture Systems 19 Pagina 18
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