Harvesting Organic Produce and Clean Energy
It has been a good two years for the Guthrie family. Founders of Growing Harmony Farms, Gary and Nancy Guthrie run a small but productive community-supported agriculture (CSA) program in Nevada, Iowa.
Cultivating on less than two acres of land, the couple harvested nearly 21,000 pounds of fresh produce this past season. The produce is distributed among the 74 members of the CSA with extra carrots, garlic and sweet potatoes headed to local restaurants and natural food stores.
Gary notes, “In April we had a record breaking production of over 700 kWh of electricity. A few more months like that this year and we will be over the top.”
The Guthries have saved more than $1500 off their electricity bill, paying little more than their utility connection fee each month. With electricity rates expected to rise over the next several years, Gary anticipates that his actual dollar savings will increase substantially.
When the Guthries first installed their Skystream many folks asked them if the sound created by the spinning turbines bothered them. Gary says he hardly notices it.
“These days I am out in the garden quite a lot. There are days that I appreciate the quiet and days when I appreciate hearing her sing. The only time it bothers me is when she is spinning but going too slow to produce electricity,” Gary says.
Wow , That's great! I've had the theory for years that growing up, as in a building has much more advantage that having more acres to care for , losing water through dehydration and labor. How many floors can be put on nearly two acres of land? Another option is to use one acre for a building and the nearly other acre for a solar farm. Growing hydroponically has the advantage of growing 24/7 & temperature control. The amount food that could be grown is unimaginable, plus lighting gives the opportunity to grow any type of fruit or vegetables. I rewrote this because I realized the first comment to you had too many errors. Joe Garcia
ReplyDeletePosted by Joe Garcia