The New Alchemists: they have tried the future and it works. or does it
The 12-acre Cape Cod farm designed and operated by the New Alchemy Institute utilizes solar energy, wind power, aquaculture, and intensive agriculture to maintain the self-sufficient experimental community. A 100 ft long building on the farm, known as the ark, is entirely heated by reinforced concave fiberglass solar collector panels and houses vegetable gardens, fruit trees, a compost heap, and large cylindrical glass containers for raising fish. Algae production in the glass ponds is significantly increased because light enters from the sides as well as the top, the algae supplies the fish with a constant source of food and the water provides a source of solar heat storage. Fish production in the 700 gal tanks is calculated to be 10 times that in a natural pond, each tank produces about 60 lbs of fish yearly. Intensive-bed gardening, an agricultural method developed by the Institute, is performed by planting crops between trenches which are filled twice a year with compost, manure, and seaweed. As the material decomposes, it is turned onto the crops, providing nutrients and reducing irrigation requirements. Four windmills pump water for the fish ponds. Continuous records are maintained on the various food production systems with the assistance of a computer.
- OSTI ID:
- 5568002
- Journal Information:
- Natl. Wildlife; (United States), Journal Name: Natl. Wildlife; (United States) Vol. 17:3; ISSN NAWLA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
17 WIND ENERGY
170601 -- Wind Energy Engineering-- Applications
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320600 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- (1980-)
553000 -- Agriculture & Food Technology
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
AGRICULTURE
ANIMALS
AQUACULTURE
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BUILDINGS
COMMUNITIES
COMPOSTING
ENERGY CONSERVATION
EQUIPMENT
FARMS
FISHES
FOOD
HEATING
INDUSTRY
MANAGEMENT
MONITORING
PLANNED COMMUNITIES
PROCESSING
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING
SOLAR SPACE HEATING
SPACE HEATING
VERTEBRATES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WIND TURBINES