Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Perpetual Harvest
Greenhouse System
PHASE I Pg 19
REFINEMENT AND VALIDATION Pg 19
OVERVIEW Pg 19
BASELINE PARAMETERS TO INVESTIGATE AND OPTIMIZE Pg 19
PHASE I SUPPLIMENTS FOR STELLAR RESULTS Pg 21
POTENTIAL RESULTS Pg 23
INVESTIGATIVE APPROACH Pg 25
PROFIT POTENTIAL Pg 26
MARKETING PLAN FOR LILY HILL FARM Pg 27
MARKETING PLAN FOR STELLE Pg 27
POTENTIALS IN COMMON TO LILY HILL FARM AND STELLE Pg 28
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES CREATED Pg 31
COMPENSATION CONSIDERATIONS Pg 32
RISK ANALYSIS Pg 32
COST ANALYSIS Pg 33
OPERATIONS LABOR, EDUCATION & ADVERTISING Pg 33
SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE Pg 34
GREENHOUSE AT LILY HILL FARM Pg 35
GREENHOUSE AT STELLE Pg 36
COST OVERVIEW FOR BASELINE PROPOSAL Pg 37
RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR BASELINE PROPOSAL Pg 37
GREENHOUSE BASELINE ROI ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET Pg 38
COST OVERVIEW FOR STELLAR PROPOSAL Pg 39
STELLAR ROI ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET Pg 40
PHASE II Pg 41
OPTIMIZED DEMONSTRATION SYSTEM FOR COMMERCIAL SALES Pg 41
OVERVIEW
Presented here, with Chris Marron's permission, is his Perpetual Harvest Greenhouse System
(PHGS); reviewed, generally researched, and edited by Mark Hoffman. Mark is a Stelle area
engineer and permaculturist who is the President of the Center for Sustainable Community in Stelle,
Illinois, His conclusion is that this is a very plausible system for year-round food production.
On The Ground
This is a recent body of work that Chris has put together and as of this time, neither he nor anyone else
we know of has actually built and operated this greenhouse system or tested its production possibilities.
The door is open for anyone to experiment with building a PHG System. Chris is interested and
available to assist others who are serious about building and operating a Perpetual Harvest Greenhouse
System. Chris can be reached by emailing mark@centerforsustainablecommunity.org.
.
Financially Exciting
Also included are some financial projections for an operating greenhouse under this design.
Although they are just estimates, they are very encouraging numbers because they answer the need
for finding more sustainable ways of economically supporting our small scale farmers and growers.
This system can also be used in suburban and city environments providing nutritious food, income
and greater food security for local residents.
Food Security
As this system is capable of producing year-round-healthy food, it brings the possibility of economic
stability and true-food security to any region. The system is also sustainable in the long run since it
uses only a fraction of the energy of conventional greenhouses. As fossil fuel prices continue to rise,
traditional green housing operations will become unprofitable.
Chris Marron is available for consultation and even project support, as time and funds allow.
The Perpetual Harvest Greenhouse System provides an indoor ecosystem capable of growing
equal yields of organic produce 52 weeks in a year. This system creates 365 ideal growing days per
year by optimizing light, carbon dioxide enrichment, and soluble nutrients in conjunction with
continuous planting and harvesting. Because the hyrdo-organic based Perpetual Harvest system can
economically simulate warm season growing conditions, crops that would otherwise be shipped
from warmer climates can be grown profitably in colder climates during winter months.
Such off-season production significantly increases return on investment of the Perpetual Harvest
system in comparison to conventional greenhouse systems because heating and cooling costs could
be up to 75% less than for the standard three-season greenhouse operation. This system also allows a
greenhouse operator to create growing conditions unique to specific crops such that almost any crop
can be harvested at any time of year, even in colder climates.
The Perpetual Harvest system utilizes unique growing techniques to maximize plant growth.
Enhanced growing techniques include: providing artificial light, carbon dioxide (CO2) enrichment,
and maximizing soluble nutrients absorbed through roots and leaves. The system enhances growth
by proportionally increasing the five most important growing conditions at certain times of the day,
thus producing a ‘supercharged’ growing environment causing plants to reach erectly for the light
while rapidly absorbing nutrients. The result is a significant and rapid growth surge. Plants can
process approximately twice as many nutrients if light, CO2, and soluble nutrients are increased in
balance at the same time. Standard greenhouse growing temperature of diminishing returns is ~85°F,
while experience indicates temperature can be successfully increased to 95°F with increased light,
CO2, and soluble nutrient levels, along with additional water. Growing at increased temperature has
the added advantage of allowing the greenhouse to remain sealed longer from the outdoor
atmosphere each day, leaving the higher CO2 concentration available for a longer period. With
normal light, CO2, and soluble nutrient levels, plants become stressed at temperatures above 85°F -
not so, with the Perpetual Harvest system. Operating at higher greenhouse temperatures effectively
utilizes periods where it is difficult to maintain greenhouse temperatures less than 85°F.
Light:
In the Perpetual Harvest system, plants receive the same amount of light from the fall equinox until
spring equinox by adjusting day length with artificial sunlight. Experience indicates that
approximately 11-12 hours is optimal daylight length for most common food plants in temperate
zones. Additionally, applying supplemental light for three hours each morning, every day of the
year, at the same time that the CO2 concentration is enriched, has been seen to maximize plant
growth. Increased light supports CO2 absorption by stimulating plants to open their stomata.
Supplementing the red, blue, and green light frequencies during this enhanced growth period
optimizes utilization of the added light. Red and blue frequencies enhance vegetative growth while
green frequencies are necessary for seed development.
The hydronic radiant heating system is heated by three sources: a solar/thermal system, a co-
generating unit, and a Babbington burner. The solar/thermal heating system is essentially a solar
and/or wood boiler powered pool heater circulating hot water into the storage tank. The co-gen waste
heat systems and Babbington burner are also connected to the radiant heating system as backup heat
sources. The Babbington burner burns oil (waste vegetable or motor oil) or biodiesel and can quickly
provide a significant amount of heat (the U.S. military heats all the meals served in the field using
this system). The co-gen unit provides both heat and electricity and can be powered from a variety
of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, or methane.
Greenhouse Layout:
The Perpetual Harvest Greenhouse System can be retrofitted to just about any existing greenhouse
design. However, due to low angle of sun in northern winters the optimal PHGS would have a tall
northern wall and the planting beds vertically stacked in terraces stepping upward toward the
northern wall. Looking externally at the greenhouse from one end it would appear similar to an A
frame with the northern wall earth bermed. Ideally, the greenhouse would be built into a south facing
hill and include a short southern wall at ground level. Besides terraced beds, it would be possible to
apply the verti-grow method that utilizes pots stacked one above the other. It would also be possible
to build the terraces out of enclosed concrete fish tanks, thus allowing fish to be raised (aquaponics),
providing another income stream.
Temperature/Humidity Control:
The Perpetual Harvest control systems are designed to regulate temperature using thermostats,
timers, and/or programmable controllers, all with the option for manual override. The energy
management systems are operated with the intent of maintaining the desired greenhouse temperature
and humidity with the minimum energy input. The greenhouse should be maintained below 60%
humidity at all times, if possible.
General temperature control in a northern climate is as follows. The SHCS (Subterranean Heating
and Cooling System) is operated at all times, unless its outlet air temperature drops below 55°F .
Should the SHCS air outlet temperature drop below ~60°F, the radiant heating system automatically
initiates flow, thus transferring its heat to the air in the SHCS tubing, maintaining or increasing the
SHCS outlet air temperature. During the mid-morning enhanced growth period of operation, heat
addition from solar gain, the CO2 generators, and artificial lights could cause significant heat
buildup, especially on sunny days. If such heat buildup causes interior air temperature to reach 96°F,
CO2 generation and artificial lighting are automatically terminated and the greenhouse atmosphere is
exhausted to the outdoors. After the cool incoming outside air causes interior temperature to drop to
75°F, exhaust fans are stopped and CO2 generation and artificial lighting are reinitiated, provided the
three hour enhanced growing period has not reached completion. Subterranean heating operates to
Temperature/humidity regulation and plant maintenance activities during a normal Spring or Fall
day in a northern climate typically occur as follows:
Cooler night time temperatures may be needed for fruits and berries at certain times of their growing
cycle to improve fruit set and possibly enhance fruit sweetness. Through use of the SHCS, the
Perpetual Harvest system can produce these lower temperatures for a short period even during hot
weather.
Although the Perpetual Harvest Greenhouse System can operate profitably with the systems already
described, overall energy efficiency can be improved by addition of a variety of renewable energy
systems. Higher energy efficiency can lead to more profitable long term operation despite the initial
higher capital expense of additional systems.
Perhaps the most viable and efficient energy component to integrate into the Perpetual Harvest
system is the co-generation unit. This is because the co-gen unit produces multiple useful outputs.
The co-gen unit produces electricity, which is needed for lighting, fans, and electronics. As
described earlier, it also produces heat which can be stored in the hydronic radiant heating system. If
the co-gen unit is powered by ethanol, methane, or bio-diesel it might even be possible to feed its
exhaust into the greenhouse as a CO2 source after filtering (depending on completeness of
combustion) and/or heat source. Furthermore, the exhaust line and cooling system lines could be
buried into the greenhouse base where their heat can be transferred into the greenhouse substructure,
much like the heat in the radiant heating system.
A system to produce the bio-fuel consumed by the co-gen unit could also be added. For example, if
the co-gen unit is powered by a diesel engine, a bio-diesel plant could be built alongside to feed the
engine. The same would be true for an ethanol still if the generator were powered by an engine
designed to burn ethanol and/or gasoline. An ethanol plant has the added benefit of producing CO2
as a distillation by-product. As described earlier, it is desirable to enhance CO2 enrichment in the
greenhouse, therefore CO2 produced by an ethanol still would displace the need for some of the CO2
generated through igniting propane or natural gas torches during the mid-morning enhanced growth
period and thus cut operating expenses. The still would also produce waste heat that, if it could be
captured, could heat water in the radiant heating system.
Addition of a methane digester to the mix of energy systems could produce at least two useful
byproducts. The first would be the methane gas itself, which could be used at least three ways: 1) to
power a gas engine for the co-gen unit, 2) burned during the enhanced growing period as a CO2
generator, 3) used to heat an ethanol still. A less obvious byproduct of a methane digester is the
nutrient rich sludge left over from anaerobic digestion. The liquid from this sludge can function as
an important nutrient source for the hydroponics solution being fed to the plants, and any
Regardless of which renewable energy systems (if any) are integrated with the Perpetual Harvest
system, a building separate from the greenhouse will be needed to ensure the mechanical
components are isolated from the humid greenhouse environment. This building would likely also
house the composting, aquaponics, and vermiculture operations.
Choice of renewable energy systems integrated into the Perpetual Harvest system will likely depend
on availability of local biomass resources. It should be noted that for cases where a bio-fuel waste
product (for example, methane digester sludge) is to be used in growing greenhouse produce, the
biomass inputs may need to be of certified organic origin in order to retain the ability to certify the
greenhouse produce as organic. This could be problematic unless the operation has access to organic
biomass inputs.
The Perpetual Harvest Greenhouse System has numerous unique features that enhance its
competitiveness in comparison to a standard three-season greenhouse. These features are:
Besides the advantages just listed, it should be noted that the Perpetual Harvest food production system
can become a uniquely closed resource loop if it is integrated with nearby restaurant(s). A resource
sharing relationship with a local restaurant would allow waste cooking oil to be utilized as a bio-diesel
source. It would also allow food scraps to be recycled, either directly into a bio-digester, or indirectly
via feeding animals such as hogs and chickens. In turn, these animals could provide another income
stream in the form of meat, dairy and eggs. It can be seen that as the Perpetual Harvest system
integrates greater numbers of resource utilizing components, additional income streams arise due to the
efficient utilization of energy and biomass. Ultimately, reduced waste increases profit, while greatly
minimizing the challenge of waste elimination and removal (pollution) so prevalent in modern, large
scale, industrial agriculture systems. See Perpetual Harvest Energy and Resource Flowpaths for a
diagramatic representation of possible resource flows within the Perpetual Harvest system.
The Perpetual Harvest Greenhouse System derives its effectiveness and economic competitiveness
from the integration of its many innovative features. Those features include high R-value bubble
wall insulation, integrated methods of heat storage and temperature management, and an enhanced
mid-day growing period stimulated by increased carbon dioxide concentration, enhanced lighting,
and increased soluble nutrient levels. Although the construction costs of the Perpetual Harvest
system exceed that of the standard three season greenhouse, the extended harvest season and
significantly reduced long term energy costs should result in a higher return on investment for this
system than for other greenhouse systems currently in operation. (See the article titled, “Packin'
snacks for trip to Mars ” to learn of a successful greenhouse in New Jersey that implements many,
but not all of the features of the Perpetual Harvest system.) Inclusion of renewable energy systems
into the overall design produces multiple income streams not typical of a greenhouse system. Ideally,
the Perpetual Harvest system would be completely energy self sustaining – deriving all its energy
needs directly from the sun or from locally harvested sunlight via biomass. Some general benefits of
this system are:
Lastly, it deserves to be stated that not only does the Perpetual Harvest system provide local
employment and a possible means of regenerating local farm economies, it also can serve as the
physical life blood of a sustainable community or co-housing unit. Considering that human societies
are typically organized around and through sharing of both food and energy, the fully developed
Perpetual Harvest system provides for these two most basic human needs.
At this time, a prototype of this fully integrated energy/food system is needed so that performance of
the Perpetual Harvest system may be optimized. Once proven effective and profitable, this system
can serve as an example of how a community can function in a self sustaining manner by efficiently
using the resources at its immediate disposal.
Notes:
Chris Marron, creator of the Perpetual Harvest system, has operated greenhouses for 15 years. His
experience with different lengths of light exposure, frequencies of exposure, and exposures at
different times during the day provide much of the basis for optimizing light to maximize plant
growth. Chris built his own single family greenhouse that he used continuously for 7 years at
elevation 6000 ft. in central Oregon near the city of Bend. Chris has experimented extensively with
Bio-dynamic and Perelandra (http://www.perelandra-ltd.com) principles in his growing systems.
For information on Sir Albert Howard and the Indore compost method, visit the Journey to Forever
website (http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/howard.html).
Muscle testing (aka: kinesiology) utilizes the inherent wisdom of the human body to determine truth.
Muscle testing utilizes the predisposition of the body’s muscles to strengthen in the presence of
truth. This process allows answering ‘yes-no’ questions by observing strong muscle response to
‘yes’ answers and weak muscle response to ‘no’ answers. This technique can be used to determine
optimal nutrient levels needed by plants. See ‘Power vs. Force’ by Dr. David R. Hawkins for a full
description of how truth can be determined via muscle testing.
A plenum is a common area in a distribution system, from which a substance will flow through
openings in many directions.
The U.S. insulation value index. Most stick-framed houses have R-19 in walls and R-38 in the attic.
Read about the LivelyUp Greenhouse that retains remarkably warm indoor temperatures in the cold
Canadian winter using this system. See the description at:
www.solaroof.org/wiki/SolaRoof/LivelyUpGreenhouse .
The Babbington Burner is what the U.S. Military uses to heat meals in the field. It is a very simple
system that quickly creates a substantial amount of heat by burning bio-diesel, vegetable oil, or even
waste motor oil.
Verti-Grow is a growing method that stacks growing pots from floor to ceiling. When adding
nutrients one simply fills the top pot and the rest are fed by gravity.
For optimal vegetative growing conditions, it is desirable to keep greenhouse temperature at 55°F or
higher.
Solar air conditioning uses solar thermal techniques to supply the energy needed to drive a cooling
system. They typically utilize a phase change or other molecular process to move heat from a cool
location to a warmer location. Phase change systems of this sort often consist of a propane
refrigeration unit and have been in use for more than 150 years to create ice for icehouses. These
systems can also be as simple as passing air through piping buried at least 4 feet below ground where
the soil temperature is maintained year-round at a temperature approximately equivalent to the
average yearly air temperature for a location.
Perpetual Harvest Greenhouse System 14
Without airflow to move plants, plants will not develop the necessary structural strength and will be
prone to falling over.
Postscript…
At this time, I am satisfied with the completeness of this paper and that it can be sent out for review.
Although many of the features and methods in this concept paper may sound untried, research Chris
and I have performed on the Internet indicated that nearly all the features described here have been
tested and proven. However, no evidence can be found of anyone having applied all these concepts
into one system - not that they couldn't. We both suspect that greenhouses in Holland operate similar
to this system - Holland is a world leader in greenhouse operation and its greenhouses feed much of
Europe. Unfortunately, we can't find Internet information on Dutch greenhouses. Perhaps all their
greenhouse articles are in Dutch.
I went to considerable effort to reference this document to existing information. Recognize that the
description is generic and written for any climate. Certain aspects and features, particularly those
related to energy production and management, may not be applicable to our local climate. Also,
realize that this document describes all the possible options that can be included. It is unlikely that
all the energy systems described would be included in a single design since that would drive up the
cost significantly. I realize the document is a bit long, but that seemed to be necessary to adequately
describe the system.
I think that at this time, this document needs to be reviewed by people with greenhouse experience.
I'm not really sure what they might say - no doubt some will pick holes in it due to its cost of
construction - but others might see features that they wished they had in their own greenhouse. In my
opinion, simply utilizing the bubble wall insulation system and the subterranean heating and cooling
system would be very cost effective, simple to install, and energy efficient. Based on what I have
read on these two systems, they alone might meet over 75% of the energy needs of this greenhouse
system in our climate - and they require virtually no energy input to operate.
Please note: In a permaculture greenhouse operation, it is more likely that there would be 2-3 dozen
varieties of plants growing together for a complementary and sustainable system to be developed.
For purposes of exploring production capabilities however, we were only able to find numbers for
single crop production. Imagine having 18 of the most common vegetables
growing in your greenhouse and you are supplying food not only for your
family but for a local health food store and several restaurants that want
tomatoes, cucumber, dill, lettuce, asparagus, zucchini, peas, beans, etc. all
year-round.
Operational costs (go ahead and triple the above $8,100) = $24,300
(Heating and electrical, labor, debt repayment and interest, operating supplies, and taxes.)
Gross Sales @ 1.30 (x 27,000 lbs.) = $35,000 in gross revenues
Gross Profit (before Mgmt. & sales) = $10,700
Note:
If tomatoes were grown organically and sold for a higher premium ($1.80 instead of $1.30) this
would boost income by $13,500 without increasing expenses.
Gross Profit with organics = $24,200
So... Build three of these greenhouses and you have a nice annual income.
Perpetual Harvest Greenhouse System 16
Dear Reader: Remember, these are just my best estimates of what is possible. A prototype
greenhouse still needs to be built to test these assumptions. However, just imagine the possibility of
growing three times more food than anything previously achieved with the bonus of using renewable
energies.
Bill Wilson (5-17-05) Note: This page was written by Bill Wilson for his Midwest Permaculture
website, without edit by Chris. Chris’ response is on pages 26-27 and is aided by recent hydro-
organics industry data.
APPENDIX:
http://www.hydro-gardens.com/planning_your_house.htm
TOMATOES require from 4.0 to 5.0 square feet of greenhouse area per plant. Therefore, the
plant population in a 30' x 132' greenhouse will range from 990 plants to 792 plants. Plant
population is affected by greenhouse style, time of year you're in production, and your location.
Production is normally calculated in pounds per square feet of greenhouse area. It can range from
6.0# psf to well over 12# psf per year with currently available varieties. (See production estimates
at www.hydro-gardens.com/tomato_seeds.htm)
The cost of producing vegetable crops varies substantially from season to season and year to year.
It is generally accepted in the industry that this cost can range from $.70 per pound to $1.00 per
pound. A few of the many factors that affect this cost are heating and electrical, labor, debt
repayment and interest, operating supplies, and taxes.
The average selling price for vegetables in your area times the total yearly production gives you
gross income. This will also vary substantially from season to season and year to year. Traditionally
this yearly average has ranged from $1.25 per lb. to $2.50 per lb. for tomatoes.
OVERVIEW
This proposal is based on building a new greenhouse located where land is made available or
retrofitting an existing greenhouse if funding restrictions and opportunity dictate that approach.
Either way purchasing land is not included. The assumption is that an agreement can be made with a
land owner based on their acquisition of a functional greenhouse and the physical plant to run it
independent of the local power grid. If the Phase I greenhouse is to be used for continuing
experimentation it would be highly desirable to have it located at Lily Hill Farm, Stelle or some other
community moving in a similar direction towards sustainability and research that supports that goal.
Because both Lily Hill Farm and Stelle have expressed interest this proposal has been written based
on the assumption that the PHGS will be located in one or both of those communities.
The proposed duration of Phase I is one year with the clock starting when construction begins. It
will take three months to finish construction with building or retrofitting the greenhouse the
highest priority. Initially the power grid will be the source of supply. PHGS will transition to
self-generation when that system comes on line. Building a new or retrofitting an old
greenhouse and equipping it can be done in less than a month. In that same time frame the grow
beds can be built and populated thus compressing the time it takes to produce fruit. Samples of
technologies being considered, such as grow lights and water treatment systems, will be
evaluated right away and the best candidate(s) chosen and installed in the finished greenhouse.
The next five months are for experimentation while production ramps up and stabilizes. This time
period ends with operations at full capacity. The remaining six months of phase I is for finishing
any remaining experimentation required for Phase II while documenting productivity levels.
During this time the operation should be self-sustained based on sales. Chris would continue
mentoring the personnel involved via phone and email if Phase II design and initial construction
require his presence elsewhere. In order to properly document operations cooperative agreements
would be forged with Universities in the states involved. Professors at least two major universities
have already expressed interest in PHGS and one has offered graduate student participation to
document viability as a business. Due to the focus on agriculture that many higher education
institutions have and the ground breaking nature of PHGS, canvassing other Universities for their
interest will generate an abundance of offers for participation.
BASELINE PARAMETERS TO INVESTIGATE AND OPTIMIZE
One simple technique that increases production over conventional approaches is vertical growing
along the North wall thus eliminating the problem of shading while increasing yield. With
vertical growing greenhouse production is based on cubic footage as opposed to a two
dimensional operation based on square footage. Because some plants are shade loving vertical
growing can also be practiced in some internal locations.
A common greenhouse problem that needs to be addressed during Phase I is keeping the Polyfilm
cover properly tensioned as it expands and contracts with temperature changes. It is vulnerable to
wind damage if it becomes slack in the summer heat or can be contracted beyond its capacity in the
A critical aspect to the operation of PHGS is working cooperatively with Mother Nature. That
statement means far more than most realize. Its wisdom was long ago demonstrated both
culturally and more recently scientifically. An excellent overview of the early studies validating
this can be found in the book, The Secret Life of Plants. It was published in 1972, roughly the
same time frame that Findhorn in Scotland began operations, www.findhorn.org. Findhorn
definitively demonstrated that working consciously with the flora and associated intelligences
results in unheard of yields even when dealing with low quality soils. They also pioneered the
use of Bio-dynamic techniques which have eight decades of documented application yielding
incredibly successful results. This can be investigated at, www.biodynamics.com. Appendix A
gives a good overview of Bio-dynamics.
That success established Findhorn as a focal point sustainable community which prospers to this
day. It also inspired similar efforts in the United States. One that is well documented is the
Perelandra Institute, www.perelandra-ltd.com. It is located in Virginia. Chris’s wife took a class
at Perelandra. What she learned led to significant refinements in how she and Chris operated
their greenhouse as they had a new partner, Mother Nature. This partner was eager to explore
cooperative ventures with them. For example, a critical technique for quick turn around
propagation is cuttings. Success rates rose dramatically from around 40% to over 95% by
following the advice the plant kingdom provided. They also employed the Bio-dynamics based
techniques used at Findhorn resulting in large increases in productivity.
A question sometimes raised is whether or not PHGS’s artificial environment is too removed
from nature and hence unnatural. One of the principals behind Perelanda is Machaelle Small
Wright. She is an acknowledged expert in this field. She has written: “Anything that has order,
organization, and life vitality, is nature.” PHGS certainly fits that definition. It is really a form
of garden. On that subject Machaelle writes: “A garden is any environment that is initiated by
humans, given its purpose, definition and direction by humans, and maintained with the help of
humans.” Machaelle lists examples of soil-less gardens: A home, a business, classrooms,
computers, computer programs, books, a car and a human body. Given those examples it is
difficult if not impossible to come up with anything that has form that would not be considered
part of nature nor anything that man builds that would not be considered a garden. However,
what mankind creates is seldom accomplished working cooperatively with Mother Nature; hence
the lack of balance and thus both vitality and sustainability. Machaelle further states that:
“When humans consider solutions for restoring balance to an out-of-balance world, they need
only access the intelligence of nature involved for answers. That intelligence contains inherent
balance and is fully capable of defining all that is required for reflecting that inherent balance
through specific form.” The baseline for PHGS was developed by Chris and his wife working
cocreatively with Nature’s Intelligence. That is why we have high confidence it its success.
Much closer to Stelle is a second well documented effort at working cooperatively with Mother
Nature, www.lilyhillfarm.org. Penny Kelly’s Lily Hill Farm is located in Lawton, Michigan and
she is another expert in the field. The quality and size of their organic grape harvests eclipsed all
The baseline approach for PHGS is composed of what is essential to high productivity and hence
economic viability. It has been carefully crafted to address five critical parameters: Light, heat,
water, nutrients and atmosphere. For maximum production these five critical elements have to be
maintained at optimal levels. PHGS cannot have a “Down day” as they reduce productivity to
small percentages above industry standards. Sustained stimulation yields productivity dramatically
above the norm, the five to eight times PHGS is capable of. Lights are required, even in the
summer, as a few cloudy days in a row can dramatically stunt optimum growth. Sustained heat
increases metabolic rate if every other parameter is being met. Water supplies are likewise
controlled so that plants dry out two or three times per day. This vaporizes the nutrients in the root
zone thus approximating aeroponics growing which is scientifically accepted as the most efficient
system. However, it suffers from technical problems because organic solutions cause misters to
clog; otherwise PHGS would take that approach. Controlling the atmosphere includes increased
CO2 levels because the plants take in CO2 and expel oxygen. This is similar to Olympic class
athletes who train at high altitudes to increase their cardiovascular capability thus enabling them to
outperform others in lower altitudes with higher oxygen contents. When all five parameters are
optimized nutrient uptake is dramatically increased along with growth. Thus stems grow
significantly more fruit production nodes in less space.
These elements are optimized to exponentially increase growth rates in order to achieve large
increases in yields. Without their counterparts in place each parameter is at levels which would
burn, stunt, or outright kill the plants. It is only when all operate simultaneously in a balanced
fashion that the plants produce at dramatically increased levels based on their needs being
abundantly met. It is to their advantage to do so as fruit is their means of propagation. Optimize to
meet their needs and they will meet ours. That is the philosophy of PHGS in an organic nutshell.
Additional technologies which would further leverage plant growth use audible and electromagnetic
stimulation and in one case biofeedback. A technology Penny Kelly found particularly successful
was Sonic Bloom© which combines audio stimulation with organic nutrient application to
dramatically augment plant growth. Based on the documentation on their web site:
www.relfe.com/sonic_bloom.html, the result is plants as much as five times their normal size
with comparable gains in yield. Sonic Bloom© pioneered practices will work well with the
organic nutrient solutions used in PHGS.
The QXCI/EPFX/SCIO device is an important tool to monitor the project and an opportunity to
produce results beyond current expectations. Although known internationally as the QXCI,
within the US it is licensed by the FDA as the Electro Physiological Feedback Xrroid (EPFX)
Scientific Consciousness Interface Operating system (SCIO). The main international website is:
www.theqxci.com/old_events.html and within the US: www.epfxscio.com. It is a biofeedback
device capable of destructive and constructive stimulation while monitoring thousands of
ecosystem parameters. It can thus reduce undesirable organisms while enhancing energetic
conditions leading to proper balance and enhanced growth.
What the QXCI does is more closely akin to something you would expect from the Star Ship
Enterprise. It incorporates 400 other machines such as EEG, EKG, blood chemistry, and many
more fundamental medical functions while improving their effectiveness with biofeedback. The
QXCI works as a quantum potential device sensing and adjusting energy fields in the entire system
being analyzed. It contends with the micro environment down to atomic levels. It can sense and
modify the macro environment with a 1000 meter energy field generating organic levels of health
in that sphere. It has been demonstrated to double plant growth rate. Because it takes a long time
to learn how to effectively operate such a complex system, and the cost of acquiring the equipment
exceeds $20,000, hiring an experienced operator as a consultant has been included in Phase I
development. It is anticipated that the results will justify the purchase of a QXCI for Phase II. If
the machine turns out to be as useful as anticipated it could be worth purchasing and learning how
to work with during Phase I. That becomes doubly true if it can also handle energizing the volume
of water a greenhouse requires. Having this level of technology combined with Perelandra
techniques will yield new understandings and a synergized result far beyond current expectations.
Bill used his water experimentally on his plants. The results were so dramatic that he tried it on
himself. He had suffered from debilitating fibromyalgia for 10 years and lived with the disease
for 25. In one month his symptoms all but disappeared. Within three years he developed a
multimillion dollar business selling Penta Hydrate through more than 3000 health food stores
nationwide. Bill creates his product using reverse osmosis water as a base and proprietary
processes involving ultraviolet treatments. The result is water that is stable and more than 80
percent penta molecules. Bill’s company can be investigated at www.hydrateforlife.com. He
has developed an extensive research lab and continues to improve on his understanding of what
this water can do and how it can be used. Bill’s company is not the only one marketing high-
energy waters. I drew heavily upon his information as it explains the chemistry involved.
Plants that are super energized are impervious to pathogens just as humans are with a similarly
empowered immune system. Energized water is a critical foundation upon which high quality
food can be produced and thus a keystone technology to investigate during Phase I development.
Working with a vermaculture and microbe expert is also highly desirable. In the human
digestive tract a microbial balance is essential to health. In an analogous fashion a diverse food
production biosphere requires microbes as pathogen removers. Healthy microbes in the water
form another layer of defense thus ensuring ecosystem resilience and sustained food production.
Lee Patterson is a retired farmer with expertise at energizing water. He lives in the Chicago area
and is well known douser, vermaculture and microbe expert. He is very interested in working on
the PHGS project. He has this to say about the subject of vermaculture and microbes:
“Microbial life is a very big team player. The digestive tract of the earthworm is a mobile
laboratory. It acts as the research and development center for what the soil needs based on the
raw materials that are available. Their blending supports life. Earthworms have quite a family
history promoting vitality! The ancient Chinese recognized and honored their lowly worm
friends. Today, with high tech, we lose awareness that vermaculture and microbes are
synonymous with life. These dedicated employees only promote life, never complain, work long
hours, give excrement containing the required microbes, and always act as true team players.
They are one of nature’s marvelous systems.”
POTENTIAL RESULTS
What is proposed here is far beyond industry standards. A normal three season greenhouse takes
three months to begin production as plants are grown from seeds. It also ends production
ramping down as plants pass maturity and are not replaced. Thus a three season greenhouse only
produces fruit at top end production for half a year at best. Economics like this generally restrict
greenhouses to high end crops and often just flowers. Three to four pounds per square foot are
the industry norm for the low end of greenhouse operations. With full utilization of their
products the petrochemical industry touts results of eight to twelve pounds per square foot. We
contacted a certified organic hydroponics solution company and they reported customers with
production levels double that at 25 pounds per square foot. With year-round production PHGS
easily takes the best that hydro-organics achieves and doubles it while reducing energy costs.
This is conservative based on the previously mentioned Cornell University results of productivity
23 times that reported by California outdoor commercial growers while decreasing water usage
by well over 30 times: www.verticalfarm.com/plans-2k6_eco.htm.
During Phase I baseline development PHGS incorporates sustained year long operations, vertical
growing techniques, Bio-dynamics, Perelandra based cooperative growing, higher temperatures
and CO2 augmentation. Stellar augmentation during Phase I adds Sonic Bloom© and
energization technologies aimed at the total environment plus the QXCI transmitting
harmonizing frequencies while monitoring and optimizing the operation from the macro to the
micro levels. The consequence is organic production well beyond industry standards and the
PHGS baseline. Thus PHGS production estimates five to eight times what the petrochemical
What will the resultant produce be like? It has been established by a number of pioneers, for
instance, Dr. Norman Walker, Dr. Ann Wigmore, Dr. Gary Null and Colonel Bradford, that
debilitating illness can be reversed. In every instance they were faced with a personal health
crisis which they turned around by changing their diet to nutrient dense organic foods. Even hair
loss was reversed and gray hair returned to its normal color. There were similar gains in energy
levels, productivity and longevity. Dr. Deepak Chopra has documented in his books and Dr.
Richard Schultz has experienced first hand how the body regenerates when it is fed healthy
foods. Dr. Chopra has studied cultures where people live well beyond 100 years because of
healthy lifestyles and diets. Based on his studies, premature aging could be characterized as
being less than fully vital before the age of 100.
Americans live in the best fed nation in the world. The majority of us are chronically
overweight. There is considerable medical data indicating that aging is really a consequence of
malnutrition. Aging is thus a sign of malnutrition. Being overweight could also be a sign of
malnutrition. It doesn’t matter how much food you eat if it does not contain what your body
needs. Americans are literally stuffing themselves while starving to death. Those listed in the
preceding paragraph reversed the debilitating effects of aging by eating nutrient dense healthy
foods. Healthy food that was readily available decades ago no longer exits in quantity on this
planet because of the degradation of the soils from farming practices and widespread pollution.
The phase I PHGS will produce Super Energized Nutrient Dense (SEND) foods that are organic.
The taste and quality of healthy food is palatably different from the cardboard competition. That
alone sells it. Once its healthy benefits are also realized people will crave what PHGS produces.
You want to help someone, just SEND food!
Another indicator of how healthy foods produced this way was Penny Kelly’s results. The brix
levels in produce are indications of how well the plant was nourished. What Penny discovered was
that high brix level organic produce tastes better and has a shelf life measured in months and even
years rather than days or at most weeks. PHGS will be filled with the best quality food immersed
in an energized environment never before experienced within any of our lifetimes. Water
energizers also energize the air while producing water with an energy field that can be measured 15
feet away. The QXCI gives off frequencies that induce harmony within the designated area of
influence thus encapsulating the entire greenhouse in a feeling of harmony. The synergistic result
of being in PHGS biospace will be a feeling of energized peace similar to that experienced on
mountain tops or in old growth forests. It will be a super energized healthy environment
harmonized at all levels. Just entering such a space will feel wonderful and be therapeutic, let
alone eating the highly sought after product. The tour industry could easily become a significant
source of revenue. There are also education grants available for tours of unique industries. That
revenue could be used to turn the facility into a world class teaching environment.
The Phase II greenhouse will also be capable of supporting continuing research as new questions
are raised. That is because it will be built to accommodate the production of a variety of foods
and thus have many independent zones. That flexibility accommodates future research
requirements thus continually evolving understanding and resulting growing techniques.
Greenhouses could be optimized to grow exclusively avocadoes, lemons, oranges, bananas and so
on every day of the year.
There are many medicinal plants that currently are in short supply. Any biosphere from the
Amazon to Tibet can be simulated. Both the Phase I and Phase II greenhouses can support
research and development that optimizes growing techniques and expands the variety of
greenhouse compatible crops that can be grown profitably. Thus PHGS makes it feasible to
grow health industry champions such as Goji Berries or Noni fruit which yield high value drinks,
or Wild Oregano which yields high value oil.
Investigating the plants used by many indigenous cultures will undoubtedly yield a substantial
list of rare specimens worth pursuing because of their nutritional and health benefits. Patenting
needs to be avoided and is not necessary. Native Americans have withheld much of their
knowledge as the legal system has been used as a weapon to take it away from them. Intellectual
properties such as these need to be documented in order to make them part of the public domain
A more reflective analysis of PHGS would be to look at three levels of performance based on
industry data. The low end would be a conservative baseline derived from the petrochemical
industries low end of eight pounds per square foot multiplied by our conservative estimate of five
times their productivity. The result is 40 pounds per square foot, well in keeping with the 50
pounds per square foot figure generated by doubling the hydro-organic industry half year
production figure. Our high end productivity figure is determined by multiplying the
petrochemical industries high end twelve pounds per square foot times our high end eight times
productivity figure yielding 96 pounds per square foot. Initial productivity is likely to be in the
middle thus yielding a compromise figure that is the mathematical median. The high end estimate
would be attained after a few years of operation. The cost of production and sales price estimates
are based on the ranges Bill Wilson found in his investigation of published industry figures. These
calculations are for the 4,000 square foot Phase I PHGS greenhouse producing a single well
characterized crop, tomatoes.
Industry Standard Median Success Stellar Success
Pounds per sq. foot 40 68 96
1 Years production 160,000 pounds 272,000 pounds 392,000 pounds
Cost/pound to produce $1.00 $0.85 $0.70
Sales price/pound $1.25 $1.88 $2.50
1 Years profit $40,000 $280,160 $705,600
3 Years profit $120,000 $840,000 $2,116,800
The resulting profits are based on a couple of assumptions. The first one is that increases in
production quantity should result in decreases in the cost per pound thus moving it from the high
end of published industry figures to the low end. The technologies being employed in PHGS are
not inherently more expensive than conventional practices once the equipment has been purchased
and personal become familiar with the new operation. In fact, operational efficiency is enhanced
as problems are avoided by monitoring the operation in ways not previously available. Thus all
efforts are aimed at enhancing productivity rather than rectifying mistakes.
There should also be a good handle on labor costs. Local farmers use labor that is seldom
motivated to perform well as they are paid based on how long they work. No permanent
relationship is established as they are transient. PHGS requires only a few workers who are
primarily permanent employees. Thus relationships are built with commensurate gains in pride
and productivity. Allowing workers to share in the harvest will give them an additional incentive
to maximize both the quality and the quantity of production. Hispanics have traditionally been
the source of workers for harvesting. There is a sufficient Hispanic population more than willing
to relocate to wherever permanent employment of this nature is offered. Chris speaks functional
Spanish and has often worked quite successfully with Hispanics finding them both cooperative
and adaptive to his non-traditional methods.
MARKETING PLAN FOR LILY HILL FARM
Lily Hill Farm already has an established marketing precedent. They previously acted as a CSA
outlet for the region and only shut down when they were unable to meet demand. There is already
sufficient infrastructure at LHF to stage a marketing operation selling directly to the public and an
excellent reputation with their former customers. In addition, the only two local restaurants that
have been approached so far have expressed interest in their produce. Nearby Kalamazoo has a
population of 60,000 and five universities. It has an advanced cultural perspective required and
represents a large, untapped market ripe for PHGS produce. Word of mouth may be sufficient to
reestablish Lily Hill Farm as a going commercial enterprise. If not, then a modest foray into
nearby markets should easily consume whatever PHGS can produce.
Buyers big enough to absorb the entire PHGS output are ones like the Feed Milwaukee Project or
Goodness Greeness, www.goodnessgreeness.com, the largest organic distributor in the Midwest.
Both would be very interested in a steady year-round supply of the highest quality produce they
have ever seen. The downside is that sales price would be wholesale thus reducing our profit while
being vulnerably dependant upon a single customer.
Farmers in the Stelle region indicate that labor and trucking are their primary expenses. The
unaddressed cost in this analysis is the distribution system which for a small operation could be
prohibitively expensive. There is an interim solution that is free. There are many Community
Development Corporation’s (CDC) in the Chicago region. Some drop off customers as far South
as the area around Stelle. An agreement with them will provide free transport for taking produce
back to Chicago. They also provide direct marketing experience as they would be in contact with
potential buyers. This is a marketing system with end buyer distribution.
The best way of maximizing profit is to sell directly to the public. The ideal location for selling
produce is a high quality farm stand within easy walking distance of PHGS and integrated into
the operation. Why package produce and put it on a truck for shipment when the same labor
could stock a marketplace? The marketplace building could be a second pole barn or the power
plant pole barn lengthened so that tours of that facility can be integrated with sales of produce
under a single roof. It only costs a thousand dollars more to expand graveled parking to
accommodate customers along with employees. Based on its importance, the cost of building an
integrated marketplace and advertising to initiate sales has been added to this proposal.
The precedent has been set by quality operations like Fair Oak Farms off of I-65 at the Indiana
State Highway 14 exit. They are in the middle of nowhere with the closest town 30 miles away.
They have a large parking lot filled with customer’s cars. Based on the school bus traffic they
probably got started with $175,000 SARE Grants which develop tours for school children.
SARE grants are available every two years. There are also comparable grants for senior citizens
to buy their vegetables at reduced rates. All of this builds exposure. Fair Oak Farms is a good
example for Stelle to emulate.
For Stelle, priming the pump begins with a modest advertising campaign in nearby communities
including parts of Chicago. High quality signs at key intersections need to be erected to guide
people to Stelle. While it is still under development some of the first three months of PHGS
production can be given away as samples to those willing to drive to Stelle. This educates people’s
palate about high quality food, gets them used to idea of driving to Stelle, exposes them to the
greenhouse operation thus encouraging tours, and ultimately generates excitement about the Grand
Opening.
Some of the produce can also be sold at reduced cost to local CSA’s to introduce them to it and
create the incentive for picking up combined orders at Stelle. The proceeds for those sales would
pay for additional employment hours for the Marketing Manager. That could make it a full time
position for the two or three months prior to the launch of commercial sales onsite.
The University connection is a further means for generating interest as the documented results
validate PHGS’s productivity. Another way of generating interest and ultimately customers is to
videotape everything from erecting the greenhouse to harvesting mature fruit. The ability to do this
is included in the computer budget for PHGS. Getting the word out becomes a full circle effort
involving all of the groups interested in its success from S3 documenting it to Nancy Bentley’s Food
Circles including her “Seeds of Health” mini PodCasts. More about Nancy’s work can be found at:
www.TrulyCultured.com, www.theFoodCircles.com, and www.FullCirclesCommunity.com. She
will produce ecourses which can also be made into flyers for educational advertising given out to
many groups and at PHGS to customers. This information becomes the basis for a newsletter
As a communities aimed at sustainability, both Lily Hill Farm and Stelle are in the health and
education business. PHGS is a demonstration system intended as an education vehicle. Customers
are opportunities not just for sales but for a clearer understanding of what sustainability is about.
Sales come from educating them about what high brix level nutrient dense, energized, award
winning organic produce is and why buying it is desirable. Seeing a greenhouse filled with food
that can be purchased year-round will be impressive, particularly when what is offered is a full
spectrum of freshly picked produce in the middle of the winter. Another eye opener will be seeing
Indore composting being accomplished with community participation and an odorless high quality
product that anyone can make in their own back yard. The entire operation is an eye opener filled
with gems of understanding. It is a new consciousness based on the foundation need for food!
Explaining what high quality food does for you mentally and physically will be more than
educational, it will be a healing life saver for many.
The best source of employees to work the PHGS greenhouse and its market is local residents.
They have the knowledge the public needs exposure to. Thus the entire operation becomes an
economic spark plug for the community. It also becomes the focal point for other business
opportunities such as sales of ethanol and diesel derived from plant based sources. The customer
stream created is a strong basis for sales by every business based out of Stelle and certain an
incentive for new business development at Lily Hill Farm.
Produce that is not saleable, either because of damage or because it didn’t sell in a timely
fashion, can be processed by microbial culturing into nutrient dense high value stable products
that the community becomes culturally identified with. This is the same sort of regional
differentiation found all over Europe where each town has artisinal specialty foods that it is
known for such as sauerkrauts, sausages, wines, cheeses and breads. Highly marketable products
like this empower communities to develop specialty shops, café’s, bed and breakfast’s and other
food and ambiance based enterprises. This increases the local economic multiplier as the money
circulates in the community thus stimulating its’ economy.
Thus PHGS becomes the basis upon which an entire community becomes both nutritionally and
economically self sustaining. It is therefore highly desirable to accomplish PHGS in a manner
consistent with local sustainability thus making it a model that other communities can emulate.
On that basis selling the produce locally may be the only method philosophically consistent with
building long term sustainability. Every project in the Stellar Projects Limited Liability
Corporation, (SPLLC, covered more thoroughly in Appendix D) needs to promote PHGS as it is
the keystone for community success and the basis of many different industries to develop.
If you assume that the average occupant of a vehicle purchases 20 pounds of produce then that
becomes the basis for estimating PHGS sales traffic volume. To determine daily traffic you
divide the estimated average purchase of 20 pounds into the Industry Standard yearly production
level of 40 times 4,000 pounds and then divide by twelve, the number of months in a year. The
Therefore, a great deal of thought needs to be put into community planning. Where PHGS is
located determines how efficiently other businesses can integrate with it and take advantage of
the resulting traffic. It would be highly undesirable to destroy Stelle’s security and serenity by
routing traffic on residential streets. It would also be highly undesirable to build without
sufficient vacant space to accommodate other businesses benefiting from the traffic. Lily Hill
Farm has a lot of vacant land to work with and an adjacent 80 acre farm coming up for sale, as
does Stelle. Adjacent chunks of land this large can provide for growth in both locations.
Success with PHGS means more traffic, ultimately a lot more traffic, that has to be gracefully
accommodated so that the wonderful qualities of a peaceful rural community are not destroyed
by its becoming successful. Planning of this nature is in the purview of SPLLC. It is the vehicle
by which projects like PHGS can easily be nested along with the other projects it empowers.
Building more PHGS production to truck to outlying regions becomes a future goal.
Production of that nature does not have to be integrated as closely with the community thus
making it easier to plan, locate and accomplish.
In 2007 a description of a Greenhouse village was developed that encapsulates part of the
potential being discussed here, http://www.zonneterp.nl/english/index_uk.html. In the United
States the average distance farm produce is trucked is 3,300 miles. By locating the greenhouse
in the community the Netherlands’ Greenhouse village model cuts that distance to less than 2
miles, the maximum distance heat can be transferred. That is one thousandth the fuel intensive
US standard. In the Netherlands 10% of the national consumption of natural gas is the
greenhouse industry. Greenhouse village turns the horticultural sector from a natural gas
consumer into sustainable energy provider. Greenhouse village integrates rural with urban,
farming with community. With this approach 1 hectare of greenhouse can heat up to 100 houses
using predominately a solar/geothermal approach. The greenhouse also supplies tap water, treats
wastewater and produces electricity. The whole complex is cost effective and self-sufficient in
energy and water while recycling nutrients and carbon. As a decentralized supplier it provides
robustness at a time when globally the dominate approach of centralized national distribution of
commodities has proven vulnerable to disruption. Greenhouse village was nominated for the
prestigious French Altran Award. France, Turkey and China have joined the Netherlands in
expressing interest in building communities based on the concept. The Greenhouse village
concept would be even more productive if it incorporated PHGS concepts.
A second inexpensive portable PC can also be purchased to run the same software in order to
address health issues for members of the community and others in surrounding areas who express
interest. Sessions of that nature normally take about an hour and half and cost $125 thus creating a
new revenue stream to pay for the purchase of a QXCI and nurture the local economy.
Yet a third portable computer could be purchased to run the same software and broadcast super-
learning frequencies to accelerate performance in the community’s schools. One machine can
handle many different classes tailoring its output to each ones needs at the student enrollment level.
Used QXCI machines are available. They typically come with video tapes covering the
introductory week long course of instruction. Thus more than one operator can be trained.
Periodically ones priced around $14,000 come onto the market. Registering for the rights to all
QXCI software upgrades costs only $1,000 thus making it easy to stay current with the latest
developments. Brand new portable PC’s capable of running QXCI software cost less than $2,000.
With a few thousand dollars worth of attachments the QXCI can energize the water in the
greenhouse and perform other functions not even discussed so far.
Based on the cost of a used machine it would total less than $25,000 to procure everything that a
community needs for the benefits discussed so far. The Phase I PHGS proposal includes line items
which if aggregated would fund this approach within the current cost profile. For instance, adding
together the QXCI, water energizing, vermiculture and microbe consulting fees as detailed on the
next page. The QXCI will handle most if not all of these requirements. After purchasing all of the
QXCI equipment detailed here there would still be $7,000 left over for outside expert consulting
and purchasing water purification equipment. Anything not addressed could easily be taken care
of using a small fraction of the management reserve included in this cost proposal.
The Phase I PHGS will be documented on the Internet so others can build a similar greenhouse.
However, there are many advanced techniques employed here in a complex system that requires
operating in ways contrary to established standards. A school will be needed to mentor
operators in the techniques Chris employs. This becomes a new industry along with Phase II
greenhouse sales. The Phase II greenhouse has no competition and answers the need of
sustainability for communities globally. Its sales potential is huge.
The PHGS Project would be nested in the Stellar Projects LLC thus eliminating liability
considerations should the venture fail for some unforeseeable reason such as a catastrophic natural
calamity. Only relatively inexpensive accident and liability insurance to cover people on the
premise and the capital investment needs to be included as would be the case for any business.
The most significant risk is having sales collocated with production. Although efficient, it is only
profitable if customers come to you and demand rises with production. Marketing is the key.
There certainly are many precedents for regional markets drawing a large customer base from
nearby metropolitan areas. Getting one established in Stelle is critical to PHGS’s economic
success. It is thus essential that every form of free advertising be pursued such as press releases
aimed at groups oriented towards organic produce and magazines such as Conscious Choice.
Success at advertising means that the biggest risk is being unable to meet customer demands. We
would have to build more PHGSs. Every business should have such problems.
In the cost analysis section each different category is broken down into a Baseline Total and a
Stellar Total. In order to address marketing that segment is also included in the Baseline Total.
That would be a half time job for the last two months. The objective would be to set up
marketplace operations and put into place advertising so that at the end of the first six months
everything would be in place to begin sales. In the Return on Investment section the Baseline
System is analyzed first followed by an analysis of the Stellar System.
Stelle:
4. Operations Manager – Chris Marron ($500/wk x 26 weeks) $26,000
(Chris’s primary compensation would be a percentage of the resultant business)
5. Greenhouse Manager apprenticing to learn the operation ($800/wk x 26 weeks) $20,800
6. Greenhouse Assistant ($500/wk x 26 weeks) $13,000
7. Marketplace Manager (half time the last two months at $400/wk x 8 weeks) $3,200
8. Advertising Campaign including signs pointing to Stelle $5,378
STELLE BASELINE TOTAL $63,000
9. IT equipment and support for ongoing research and system documentation $6,000
10. Perelandra course at $2k/person with two people attending. $2,000
11. Perelandra trained greenhouse operator (3 days/week for 26 weeks) $15,600
12. System optimization consulting with Penny Kelly (weekly sessions for 26 weeks) $9,750
13. QXCI Consulting (Weekly sessions for first month, then 3 times/wk for 22 wks) $6,500
14. Super energized water technologies equipment & consulting ($500/wk for 26 weeks) $13,000
15. Vermaculture and microbe consulting ($500 wk for 26 weeks) $13,000
STELLAR TOTAL $65,850
13. CoGeneration Powerplant, fuel tank, transfer switch and heat exchanger $25,000
STELLAR TOTAL $25,000
The CoGeneration Powerplant and associated equipment is considered optional only if Phase I
construction and operation occurs in a region where inexpensive agricultural electrical rates are
available and the risk of power loss and heating loss are minimal. Eventually this expense is
necessary if insuring sustained operation is essential.
The total for the last three line items is $18,500. They are cost effective as they eliminate the
necessity for humans to monitor the greenhouse 24 hours a day for seven days a week thus
improving workforce efficiency. Automation like this can also be packaged as a product to sell
with future PHGS sales. This is also part of the risk analysis as systems like this monitoring the
greenhouse ensure optimal operation thus increasing efficiency while reducing the risk factor.
The total for the last three line items is $18,500. They are cost effective as they eliminate the
necessity for humans to monitor the greenhouse 24 hours a day for seven days a week thus
improving workforce efficiency. Automation like this can also be packaged as a product to sell
with future PHGS sales. This is also part of the risk analysis as systems like this monitoring the
greenhouse ensure optimal operation thus increasing efficiency while reducing the risk factor.
Even the ultra conservative approach based on industry standards achieves payback in four years
at Stelle and slightly more than three years at Lily Hill Farm. That is probably an acceptable
figure given that the community gains a sustainable source of high quality food along with a
magnet business. Moderate success yields what is likely to be a more accurate figure with
payback in approximately half a year at both locations. However, there is a more sophisticated
way to look at this.
The first six months of operation will generate no profit as that is the time during which PHGS will
be built, experiments will be conducted, and product distribution and marketing setup. Expected
outlays during that time have been charted on the next page and the total highlighted in yellow.
After six months the assumption is that production will have stabilized at the Industry Standard
baseline and will ramp up in a linear fashion so that after a year Median Success will be achieved,
and likewise this will improve so that after two years of production Stellar Success levels will be
achieved. Likewise, the cost per pound of production will decrease linearly until after a year Median
Success is achieved and after two years Stellar Success is reached. Similarly, as marketing improves
With this approach the break even point is 18 months into production. That point has also been
highlighted in yellow. It should be noted that in only six additional months around $280,000
additional profit is generated. Even if profit stabilizes at this point and remains stable during the
third year of production, PHGS will earn 12 times $54,184 which calculates out as $650,210 for
that year. That is more than $930,000 above the cost to build PHGS returned in three and a half
years from the beginning of construction.
To put this data into context, in the first month of production profit is $3,333 divided by the 4,000 square feet in the greenhouse, or $0.83 per
square foot of greenhouse. That is the equivalent of growing a single tomato weighing 0.83 pounds which is sold at $1.25 a pound for a price
of $1.04. In the first month of operation production and sales cost would be $1.00 times 13,333 yielding a total of $13,333.
At 18 months there is $35,795 of profit in 4,000 square feet or $8.95 of profit per square foot. That is the equivalent of purchasing 4.18
pounds of high quality tomatoes which are sold for $2.14 per pound. Production cost would have risen while efficiency improved yielding
$0.79 times 26,556 pounds which totals $41,523, slightly more than three times the figure seen in the first month of operation. These are
reasonable expectations for a system in full production with continuing incremental improvements in both production and cost.
This scenario reflects the advantages of having personnel who are more highly trained and more
effective equipment for them to use for feedback and productivity augmentation. Thus the price
of the produce from the beginning is near the high end of the industry, the cost per pound for
production goes down more rapidly, and the amount produced begins at the median level and by
the end of the year has achieved the Stellar level. Consequently, the spreadsheet on the next
page indicates that the pay back period occurs during the 11th month with more than $600,000 of
profit generated the following year. That figure is based on stable production which is
conservative to say the least. For instance, both production levels and the value of the produce
are likely to continue rising.
Not factored in here are the new industries created such as PHGS tours, education programs,
research grants, consulting and the setup for Phase II development of a customized PHGS with
global marketing potential. In short, as an economic enterprise PHGS has the prospect of
generating both large revenues and the global exposure that Findhorn enjoys. It is keystone
advancement for communities focused on sustainability. It would put on the map whatever
community had the vision to build it.
A key design criteria is a structure which gracefully accommodates the optimized PHGS
requirements with ten times the life expectancy. It would be engineered to sustain operations even
under extreme conditions. Included would be custom built computer control systems, packing
equipment, and every other required function and system incorporated internally in order to create
a self contained turnkey greenhouse. It would be earth bermed to maximize insulation and built
with structural steel and concrete for long term durability.
Support systems would be subterranean including the potential for underground production should
surface conditions preclude sunlight based growth. A proven tilt-up-wall construction technique
can be seen at this web site: www.hollowtop.com/cls_html/tiltup.htm. The result is cost effective
with an ascetically pleasing exterior. That improves its acceptability for location close to housing.
Being earth bermed it could be incorporated into a park like setting as the North exposure would
appear more like a small hill with a structure built into it. That side could be landscaped and even
have trees as long as they were positioned to preclude shadowing the greenhouse. As operations
are totally self contained only an access road would be required to move product to its customers.
The cost of constructing the greenhouse would be approximately ten times that of a conventional
greenhouse structure. That expense would be recouped in a few short years based on the
reduction in cost of operations. An optimized design like this could potentially yield a
substantial drop in the cost of operations in comparison to the Phase I PHGS. Its major benefit is
viable operation when all other approaches become untenable.
The initial layout indicates that the floor of the greenhouse would be terraced starting 18 feet from
the South wall. Terracing for vertical growing could, for example, be in six foot runs with six foot
rises up to a North wall 42 feet high as dictated by truss angle. The space underneath the rising floor
would house exposed plumbing, pumps, aquaponics, mushroom growing, composing, water and
nutrient storage, office space and an insulated nursery. The North wall could also be adjacent to
additional subterranean structures built to accommodate underground production should that become
necessary. Aluminum trusses would slope down from the North wall to the South stem wall at an
angle determined by latitude. If that angle is 45 degrees the resulting truss would be 48-50 feet long.
That is the longest that is commercially available and readily transportable. The floor on cross-
section would be 40 to 50 feet from the South stem wall to the high North wall. The 45 degree slope
is just an example as it would be varied to maximize solar capture based on location. The length of
the greenhouse would be determined by the customer thus sizing it to desired production levels.
All of the walls would be earth bermed to minimize heat transfer. The entire structure would be
sunk into the ground eight or ten feet with the only access on an end wall where a concrete ramp
would bridge between external grade and internal floor levels. Additional small emergency exits
would be provided as required by code.
The Phase II proposal cannot be fully developed until Phase I has yielded enough answers to
know what will be required. Its design is complex enough that an architectural engineer is
required to produce it. Damiaan Kletter has those credentials and has already begun work on the
Phase II plans. He is experienced at building subterranean structures. As Phase I progresses and
the Phase II design unfolds a proposal will be developed to cover that logical next step.
GREENHOUSE:
http://www.conleys.com/commercial.htm
http://www.conleys.com/contact.htm
ON DEMAND POWER:
60 KW gen set
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200312118_200312118
60 kw generator
http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=508
transfer switch
http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=535
GROW LIGHTS:
http://www.led-grow-master.com Point of Contact: Jonathan D. Cardinale
LED Grow-Master Global LLC, 541.504.6360 Office, 541.610.1973 Fax
admin@led-grow-master.com Just6watts@led-grow-master.com
Here's a site for lighting layout, if you want to grow tomatoes in Canadian January light
conditions (thanks Marc) http://www.hydrofarm.com/light_layout/Default.htm
BACKUP HEATING:
Here's a site for sizing the backup heating system
http://www.firstrays.com/heater_calculator.htm . The bubble greenhouse will use about 15% of
this when operating at optimum growing temperatures, and usually zero energy when just
maintaining above freezing temperatures.
ENERGIZED WATER:
Vibrant Vital Water, 97 Windy Hill Rd B7, Eagle Nest, NM 87718, Ph: 505-377-0540
www.vibrantvitalwater.com Email: randy@vibrantvitalwater.com
Randy has a system which has been developed for greenhouse use. He uses it in his own
greenhouse. He lives at 8,500 feet. He has a number of water products and four patents. His
greenhouse water system is a gravity fed glass tube shaped in a golden mean spiral. It has a
throughput of 12-15 cfm. The best result is achieved with DC pumps costing about $1,500
apiece. His system also has other features which he was not willing to discuss until a non-
disclosure agreement has been signed and communication is face-to-face. To work with Randy
we either fly to New Mexico or meet him somewhere else when he is on a business trip. If hired
as a consultant he is willing to visit our site. Full energization of a water based fluid requires
cycling it through his system four times. The result is water that is also super oxygenated with
the ancillary benefit of ionizing the air in the greenhouse thus energizing it as well. Randy has
research equipment for measuring oxygen content, NMR phase angle, Ph, dynes (surface tension
of the water with a characteristic drop from 73 to 45 dynes and a similar decrease in viscosity)
and the ionization of the air. He is very interested in doing a comparison study between
greenhouses using conventional and energized water. He believes that they would have to be
separate buildings as the energization zone associated with the water radiates out approximately
Food Production, Processing, Alternative Energy Research and Real Estate Development,
Marketing and Distribution Development Center Management & Cohousing
Perma Permaculture
Perpetual Aqua- Perma- The Ethanol culture
Truly Solar & Emergency Water Energy Property 1* Property 2 Property 3
Harvest culture culture Food Produc- Cultured Wind Shelters Purification Systems
Greenhouse Circle tion Lacto- Projects
System Plant Ferment- *We have a proposed project for purchasing
ations 103 Sun Street as a base of operations.
www.StellarProjects.com
Stellar Projects Limited Liability Company (SPLLC)
Stellar Projects LLC was incorporated as an Illinois Series Limited Liability Company on October 12th, 2007 to serve as the foundation
for the development of local sustainable community models. This structure, based at Stelle, Illinois, is set up so that every individual
project and property created can be segregated while being nested together in a single efficient structure. Only one annual report and
filing fee covering everything is required thus minimizing both paperwork and cost. SPLLC is structured with seven categories
representing the spectrum of community function. Currently the multiple projects and subprojects with different foci, objectives and
location are:
1. Food Production, Processing, Marketing and Distribution – Phases I and II of the Perpetual Harvest Greenhouse System
(PHGS) project, Aquaculture, Permaculture, local Food Circles, community marketing and trading bridgemarts, are all addressed in
this category. A sub series in this category would be, for example, development of other PHGSs, Food Circles and regional
networks in other locations after the demonstration model at Stelle is developed.
2. Alternative Energy – Projects addressing Solar energy, the Ethanol Production Plant, and other low input production, processing
and distribution systems, are currently listed with many more potential candidates. This includes modules and systems for
educating and implementing energy and resource-efficient lifestyles.
3. Learning, Retreat and Training Center – Included up front is the construction of a building to house programs of this nature. The
Center represents the community education and training function. Projects in this category would flow from all of the other
categories as knowledge developed, for instance, from UniverCity for Conscious Sustainable Living, PHGS or Alternative Energy
systems, generate intellectual content useful to other sustainable communities and new thought enterprises.
4. Research and Development Center – Categories currently being considered are Emergency Shelters, Water Purification, Energy
Systems, Mobile and Energy-efficient Food Processing Units, Global Communications Systems such as S3; developing PHGS-
compatible processing and distribution techniques for nutrient-dense, high market value crops, food and fiber; integrated
development of technologically and ecologically-balanced infrastructures for new circle communities, exploring salons, telecircles
and other new forms of culture, and new value-added digital and other complementary currencies. These projects would encourage
and coordinate the participation of Universities and other stakeholders with the objective of developing key understanding and
technologies focused on sustainability, self-reliance, well-being and empowerment.
5. Real Estate Development and Management – Key properties essential to support both local and focal satellite projects would be
acquired and managed. An example is the house at 103 Sun Street in Stelle. It is currently for sale and ideal as an interim lease
location, a SPLLC base of operations until a permanent corporate operations building can be secured. Land for future development
would be another sub-category. The larger goal is to develop plans for graceful, energy-efficient industrial and urban growth for
Stelle and other SPLLC locations. Thus urban planning becomes part of this category’s mandate.
6. Stellar Communications -- A comprehensive category encompassing internal and external communications and outreach for all
aspects of the project.
a. Publishing, Marketing and Distribution of books, digital publications and other new media. Examples are the Ultimate Destiny
Press, Full Circles Community Systems books, publications, and information products; applicable affiliate and strategic partner’s
information materials aimed at biodiversity, sustainability, and wholistic lifestyles.
www.StellarProjects.com
b. Stellar Web, Internet and Intranet Development – Examples are Stellar Internet Marketing Resources, Learning, Retreat and
Training Center online education, S3, Full Circles Community Network, Ultimate Destiny and other efforts aimed at disseminating
key information for global exposure, collaboration, community development and outreach via the Internet.
c. Stellar Multi-Media Productions including audio/visual production services and products such as: Full Circles Community
Building Kits, Ultimate Destiny DVD’s & CD’s, Imagination Celebration DVD’s, PHGS construction and operation DVD’s, Turnkey
“How-to” enterprise package kits, Recorded, archived and downloadable presentations, workshops, conferences, information
captured in other digital formats for members, affiliates and other clients who need multi-media production.
7. Community Development – Complementing the physical community infrastructure of SPLLC is coordination of the equally
important information, communications, economic, social and administrative hub functions of this developing sustainable community
model. An overarching aim of this category is to integrate and coordinate the viable alternatives, already well-researched by a number
of SPLLC members, for smooth community organization and operation as well as packaging, marketing, delivery and training involved
in global duplication of this vitally needed sustainable community model. Examples include: adapting complementary community
currencies, refinement of regional portal hubs, database integration, and customization for global outreach.
www.StellarProjects.com