4/26/2004
6:41 PM
The path
forward
On the design
of micro-farm ecosystem
Sustainable
and environmentally beneficial
biomass
conversion technologies
Our plan involves the location of land.
In driving around Clarke County, Virginia, I have begun to identify where property is at and what is a good price. I yesterday come across one almost ideal location. 2 mins away from Route 7, the major good road out from DC area, and thus within commuting distance (30 - 45 miles) along route 7. There are an almost ideal 14 acres setting having very good top soil. The land is not "on the market" and the owner wants to sell so to do something else. The price is 310,000. The land is one side of a shallow valley with an established community of three fine homes (each on 5 acres) on the opposite side.
The use of the land as a vineyard and the development of several green houses would have to be done with the aesthetics of the valley in mind. In the same area, there is a 3-acre lot for sale at 150,000. Of course, in this county the number of houses that can be built on each parcel of land was fixed in 1980 and it is rare for the Board of Supervisors to make changes. The 14 acres only permits one home and no more. The land is rolling horse farm country with about 30 houses per square mile.
The development of a vineyard requires a special use permit from the Board of Supervisors.
A really ideal property, having a large recently built five-bedroom home, on 5 acres, is about 3 miles from this 14 acre parcel. The price, at $595, is 15% over what would have been asked last year. The price is a little high. Next to this property is a similar piece with 7 acres and a smaller stone home in very nice condition. The owners are looking for a retirement community to move into and have not brought the home onto the market. Here is a case where Safe Net medical monitoring would allow the aging couple to remain on their property a few more years. The land could be used to develop a small ecosystem having the look and feel of an aquatic garden. If the aging couple was to make an investment of perhaps $40,000 a complete aquatic system could be developed to look like a series of water gardens. The production value of the unit could be between five and twenty thousand dollar per year, and take minimal monitoring.
The land is populated with woods and has several places to put four to five small-enclosed ponds with streambeds running between the ponds. The control of micro organic processes could be developed to support biomass conversion production that changes the composition of active organic compounds. Certain type so plants could be grown that produce compounds needed within the large ecosystem, ir commercial product. Production would require the development of a living process completely contained within a closed ecosystem, and would have the complexity of a vineyard with complete wine production equipment. Herbal farms have similar character.
I have spoken to Edward Cook, who is the caretaker of the oldest Herbal Farm in America, Caprilands Herb Farm, and am hopeful that we will establish a virtual mentoring relationship.
The research and production roles of such a facility would have to be balanced with economic and cultural factors. We have developed a Multiple User Domain (like one derived from http://www.madwolfsw.com/) that would support (many) live video streams produced for enjoyment anywhere in the world. The Manor system runs in Linux, Mac and Windows. Plans would be to port this system, or a similar one, to run on pdas and use Peer-2-Peer streaming technology as part of the Knowledge Operating System and Python/Linux “Knowledge Technologies Toolkit.”
One of the rooms in the Manor MUD
New Agricultural Visions
Australia (NAVA)