There are lots of reasons to “take the leap” and install a Growing Spaces geodesic greenhouse in your yard, from a personal love of gardening, even in winter, to controlling the quality of your produce, or having some hang out space amidst a semi-tropical environment with moist air and the sound of water falling into a pond in the depths of winter.
There is another looming rationale for many of our customers: the uncertainty of food supply in the coming years and decades due to climate and weather changes, disruptions in global and domestic supply lines, and rising grocery costs. A further concern for many is that “Big Ag” systems yield less and less nutrient-dense produce.
Recent articles in Foreign Policy magazine and The Economist sparked some reflection on my part. Both articles detailed some indicators of trouble ahead, and while we here at Growing Spaces don’t subscribe to fear, we do pay attention to what’s happening in the world, not only as it affects our ability to source components, produce and ship Growing Dome kits to our customers, but also as it is reflected in the needs we hear from people who call or visit us to explore whether a Growing Dome is right for them.
From rivers laden with pesticides and industrial fertilizers to aquifer and topsoil soil depletion in “America’s breadbasket”, to extreme drought in California’s Central Valley, to the current rapid rise in food prices; there are many reasons to devote time and resources toward becoming capable of producing some portion of your own food.
Increasingly, we’re seeing that food security is a reason people decide to purchase a Growing Dome from us: the ability to grow more of what their family consumes as a way of either fully or almost fully sourcing their family’s produce needs, or simply lessening their dependence on supermarkets and their supply chains. Our whole “mission” at Growing Spaces is to offer the means to individual households and whole communities to grow more of their own food, 365 days a year.
We developed a nifty ROI Calculator to help people see how quickly what appears to be a major investment for some families is paid back in yield, not to mention the health benefits of tending your own garden.
So whether you’re inspired to do your part in the solution to ecological disruption, or want to provide a more food-secure future for your family or community, NOW appears to be a very good time to get started. We look forward to working with you!
By Ainslie Kincross, Growing Dome Advisor