Mike Haasl

I could imagine one name for the contest and a different name for a future kickstarter or movie title...

Victory Garden Challenge
Yard to Food Challenge
Grow Food Instead of Grass Contest
Grass meh, Food good challenge
Grow $500 of food with $50 and 5 hours  (500/50/5 challenge)
Grow 50,000 calories with $50 and 5 hours (50k/50/5 challenge)
Dirt to Garden as easy as possible

Humidity is a number that people have gotten used to using but it is hard to compare air masses of vastly different temperatures based on the % humidity.  

I think Dew Point is a much better measure.  Your outside dew point was around 31 degrees.  Inside was 44 degrees.  So it's not terribly different in actual humidity.  If you didn't have the windows open, you'd keep more of that dry outside air out and the interior moisture generation (sink, shower, breath, etc) could help keep up the humidity a bit.

34 minutes to the smack!

Here's a 12" batch box system a guy built for a big greenhouse: https://permies.com/t/174665/Huge-batch-box-rocket-stove

Neat project! I guess I'll propose some other ideas just in case you hadn't considered them...

How much would it cost to buy the timbers and have them delivered?  Maybe getting dry timber that's graded/stamped might be worth considering?

What about a different roof rafter layout that can use 16' timbers?  Perhaps with a few posts?  Or a hogan style?

Thanks Ebo, I was surprised that Solexx only had a 10 year warrantee compared to 4 for plastic film.

As an additional update, it's probably time to change out the plastic film on my greenhouse.  I'm considering different materials, perhaps fancy ones like polycarbonate or Solexx.  Solexx seems interesting but it seems like it's on backorder for about a year.  I'll look at polycarbonate next.  My rafter spacing is 4' on center and the pieces would ideally be around 18' long if memory serves...

I'd say that in zone 5b it would do much better, especially if you get a bit more sun than me in December.  My minimum temp measured so far is +9F and I'm in zone 4a.

The compost didn't work for me and I don't know how to do it inside a greenhouse and not make it smelly/funky/moldy/questionable for human lungs.

r ranson wrote:What are the expectations for the animal bb at that level?  This was mentioned a lot when we talked about what seed would mean in this context.  That if someone went with larger livestock,  it would meld with those bb.

At Wood level there are BBs for harvesting leather and fiber from animals.  No mention of how they were raised.  I'd expect harvesting fiber or leather for that BB could be used for the Textiles BBs (ie twofer).

There's also BBs for caring for critters with the following requirements:

- Care for 6 different species of animal for 6 months (counts 40 points towards Wood Badge)
    - Provide clearly better conditions than any conventional farm
    - Primarily skiddable shelters
    - No manure handling
    - Less than 2% off property inputs  

At Iron it says stuff like:

- Primarily skiddable shelters
 - No manure handling
 - All of the animal systems must be less than 2% off-site input
 - Hayless (or dramatic hay reduction system) is required
 - Minimal bare dirt under hoof/foot
 - Out in green, lush pasture most of the year
 - Plenty of shady spots
 - Sufficient herd/flock size to satisfy animal’s natural needs
 - Lack of flies, ticks, etc
 - Dry, wind protected shelters
 - Cattle butchering offal goes to chickens, pigs, fish, etc., Chicken goes to the pigs, dogs, fish, etc
 - Little to no predator pressure
 - Parasite and disease checks for all species
 - Their last day and last 15 minutes are calm and relaxing.  Slaughtered on site.