James:
I was looking over some of my old Mars proposals and wanted you to give a spin off to try in your colder area. This is an idea that popped into my head during my 105 minute bus ride as I thought about how most survivalists have no idea how to feed themselves or where they will live once they bug out.
The idea is a double wall UV-transparent greenhouse with spacers between to make for good airspace insulation. Hydroponic tubing of a larger diameter would be connected to a curtained off outhouse toilet (and a runoff gutter rain barrel) returning nutrients to the loop under the black plastic ground sheet feeding the plants. A black cover could be added
during snow (melt it away) or at night for more insulation. A small domicile could be located at one end and curtained off. The attractive feature to this (it could be a kit) is that a landless survivalist or a poor farmer could set up a real food producing system and home in 1-2 days in any place with water supply and even poor soil, sand is best.
The real problem is clogging the tubing with feces… and toilet paper could not be used in this system. Sludge from the compost pile would be dumped occasionally into the toilet.
X-meters of UV plastic
x-meters black UV plastic
x-feet of PVC tube (frame)
x-feet PVC hose perforated (large enough to stay clear)
1-composter toilet (plumbed into system, crank mixer/pump)
x-sandbags (ballistic protection)
1-runoff rain barrel (plug/valve near bottom to plumb into system)
1-hand pump kit
x-assorted vegetable starters
x-bamboo starters
1-Tyvek instruction manual on how to setup and heat shelter, germinate and grow seeds and cuttings.
A hand pump, pipe, and a sand spike would be a nice addition for the kit buyer. including sand bags in a kit would allow making of a “meklat” shelter partially dug in for those who want ballistic protection. This would likely last a maximum of 1-to-2 years but this would allow a permanent settlement to be built.
JWR Adds: I have one point of disagreement: “Night soil” (composted human waste) should not be used as fertilizer for growing vegetables. The risks far outweigh the benefits! I suggest only using waste from cattle or other herbivorous livestock for such a scheme.