Part 2: 33′ Growing Dome Installation at the Shumei Natural Agriculture Garden

The 33′ Growing Dome at the Shumei Natural Agriculture Garden at the Rodale Institute is going up nicely. Richard Miller has been kind enough to send us updates as they go, so you can feel like you’re right there with them!

4-2-13 Puxatawney Phil is part of a stew right about now. No, not because the weather is any thing like Colorado, but the weather has been the best reason for not having the foundation ready and since Phil can’t talk, guess who is in the hot seat so to speak (that would be me). Anyway, the pictures of us working on the piers and digging trenches for water lines tell the story.

4-3-13 Wednesday: One week left! Where did the day go?? We basically worked from 7:45 am to 5:30 pm and I don’t recall working on a Growing Dome. Oh, that’s right, we were still finishing the Sonatube foundation. Once again the pics tell the story. We pour concrete first thing tomorrow morning, let’s see…

4-4-13 Thursday: Concrete, and can you believe it, some people actually got to work on Growing Dome pieces, at least the stem wall and pentagon assembly. Check out the photos, thanks for interns and Shumei volunteers!!

4-5-13 Friday: Life after a hot shower – reflecting on this past week, it’s interesting how my perspective can change. Gratitude – that’s what I’m feeling. Think of the short list of people on this planet that can take a “hot” shower and how your body feels afterwards. Gratitude – one of the basic principles in Shumei. Please don’t let me forget that! The weekend is soon at hand. This morning started with two end dumps full of gravel to fill up that 33′ Growing Dome middle. We worked on some Growing Dome components and leveled gravel, and leveled gravel, and leveled gravel….The backhoe operator took out one of the piers, so we had to fix it, shoot it in with the others, and repour. Life has it’s adventures. Anyway, tomorrow with volunteer help we will start to assemble the Growing Dome structure.

4-6-13 Saturday: Cold am, mild afternoon. We finished cladding stem wall and started to assemble wall on the piers. We entered the dimensional shift game, moving the Growing Dome to get just that “sweet” spot of where it wants to be. I know cause the Growing Dome told me so!

4-7-13 Sunday: Good day with good friends and help. We got the first level up. We still have the final 3 sections of leveling and then on to installing the door pentagon.

4-8-13 Monday: Great weather, more like summer than spring. Finished the structure with the help of, as you can see from photos, a proud and hard working crew. Tomorrow, we have vent installation and cover the structure with the polycarbonate glazing panels. You’ll feel like you’re right there with us!!

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Kyle Customer Experience Manager

I worked at Growing Spaces from 2015 to 2023 and returned in 2025. I’m here to guide you through purchasing a Growing Dome® greenhouse—from planning and site selection to choosing the right accessories for your climate. My goal is to help you create a thriving space for plants (and people!). I also manage the Growing Dome Advisor team and help with technical questions, installation documents, and day-to-day operations. I love empowering people to grow fresh, nutrient-dense food and watching a Growing Dome transform empty land into a personal sanctuary. I enjoy collaborating with our team to solve challenges and make it easy for anyone to buy a Growing Dome. I graduated from Western Colorado University in 2013 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies. In my free time, I enjoy hiking with my wife and our two big dogs, skiing, backpacking, and exploring the outdoors with my camera.

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