Food Web - integrated food production

What is a Food Web? The Food Web is a holistic approach towards small scale food production. Basically, it's a way to increase efficiency and yields by integrating your livestock.

We're building a Food Web here in Northern Mexico as a working example and sort of an open classroom for the struggling farmers in our area. We are documenting this project in a book, titled Food Web. It will provide instructions for people to be able to design and create their own Food Webs, depending on their unique situations and circumstances.

We need help to get the project off the ground, so we've launched a crowdfunding campaign here: http://www.indiegogo.com/foodweb

Come check it out, and help us promote a simple, real world example of sustainable farming!

We've been living off the grid for more than a decade. Part of our lifestyle is sharing our experiences, so that others may find some inspiration or information in their own projects.

Check out a list of our Homesteading How-To's:
http://velacreations.com/foodweb/howtos

More photos

We are moving forward with the Food Web model system. We have started construction on the barn's water. It is a 7,000 gallon rain catchment system. We've been experimenting with liner-tanks for large capacity water storage, and this one is coming out great.

The basic concept with these tanks is to make a support structure to hold a liner (animal safe or potable, depending on your needs). The structure has to be able to hold the liner in place, and resist the pressure of the water, especially at the base. The trick is to avoid making the tank very tall. A 4ft tall tank has only 1.8 psi at the base, no matter how wide the tank is. 1.8psi is not a lot of pressure, and can be held with a very basic frame, like wire mesh, plywood, or sheet metal.

In this version, we used wire mesh.

Here's some more details about the tank:
http://www.velacreations.com/blog/item/280-barn-tank.html

A 4ft tall tank has only 1.8 psi at the base, no matter how wide the tank is.

With 144 square inches in a square foot, the pressure adds up fast!

pressure on the floor will be 260 lbs per square foot (144 X 1.8psi). On the wall, the longest side is 16 feet, for for the entire side, it is 4,160 lbs, but not really, because at the bottom of that square foot is 1.8 psi, and at the top, it is 1.35 psi. It's still a decent amount of force, but it is spread out over a large distance, as well.

Think about those above ground pools you see, they have a thinner liner than this, and they don't have any support for the liner! The liner takes all the force. In our design, the wire mesh and posts help take the stress off the liner.

We are in the final days of this campaign. Please help us reach our goal.
http://www.indiegogo.com/foodweb

Today is your last chance to contribute to the Food Web campaign. We appreciate all the support that you have given! The project is moving forward, and today we are putting up the roof on the model system. Thanks to everyone who participated in this project!

http://www.indiegogo.com/foodweb

Congratulations on your progress! Can't wait to see the finished system.

The Food Web Campaign has ended!

Many people have asked if we will continue with the project, even if we don't meet our funding goal. The answer is YES, we are dedicated to this project and it's goals. We will complete the project! We will not let something like lack of funds stop or deter us!

Even though we didn't reach our funding goal, we consider the campaign to be a huge success. Thank you everyone for your wonderful support during this effort!

We will continue to offer advanced copies of the book and ebook through our website.

Follow the Food Web progress on our blog, http://VelaCreations.com/blog.html