Frugal and Energy Efficient Living

ConcernedCanuk

(13,509 posts)

18. $1,000 for fresh food?

Thu Jun 13, 2013, 10:01 PM

Jun 2013

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a bargain!

I know how convenient and healthy it is to go pick fresh veggies for my meals - don't spend a dime to shop - they're right here!

So - figuring such a project would provide you with fresh produce for decades - -

save, borrow - get er done!

and me, even though I got running water now, I save as much rainwater just to save hydro $$ from running my well pump.

Think cistern - they've been around for millenniums. I already have plans to build 2 or 3 cisterns to store rainwater, and spring run-off.

One can even use a sump-pump to pump up to a water tank on a roof or stand to have gravity-fed water available for the gardens. One 12v car battery and a 400 watt inverter will do it - don't have to be near hydro. Or use hydro, pump it up in the non-peak hours (I got what they call a smart meter here - and off-peak hours are almost half the cost for hydro usage)

Old saying -

Where there's a will, there's a way . . .

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Build a $300 underground greenhouse for year-round gardening [View all] Flaxbee Feb 2013 OP

Brilliant. silverweb Feb 2013 #1

You are pretty brilliant, yourself, silverweb Demeter Feb 2013 #2

You give me too much credit. silverweb Feb 2013 #3

I thought that in cold climates you had to go a good bit deeper to get constant temps? TekGryphon Jun 2013 #13

It's not an unreasonable depth. silverweb Jun 2013 #15

I sounds great, but I don't believe it will work here in W PA. Curmudgeoness Feb 2013 #4

Lots of veggies do fine in 50F weather NickB79 May 2013 #11

Well, if it would work in MN, I guess it would work here. Curmudgeoness May 2013 #12

I think my pepper plants would have a fit :( TekGryphon Jun 2013 #14

I think you are right. we can do it Jun 2013 #17

I love this idea and I have an eight foot deep pit womanofthehills Feb 2013 #5

This would work, even in Northern Ontario, Canada ConcernedCanuk Mar 2013 #6

I'm likely too far north for this laundry_queen Mar 2013 #7

Underground? - just one or two light bulbs would keep it from freezing. ConcernedCanuk Apr 2013 #8

Very interesting! Thank you for posting. Kaleva May 2013 #9

It's an Earthship.. for plants!! im1013 May 2013 #10

It's a very cool idea but $300 is such a low-ball estimate. intheflow Jun 2013 #16

$1,000 for fresh food? ConcernedCanuk Jun 2013 #18

It's a privileged project any way you look at it. intheflow Jun 2013 #19

That was totally cool. theHandpuppet Aug 2013 #20

Neat idea, I've thought of something similar but never had the time and opportunity TheKentuckian Jan 2014 #21