--- In [email protected], "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], bob_brigante <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "sparaig" <sparaig@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "jyouells2000" <jyouells@> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], bob_brigante <no_reply@> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > The Plains drought near the Brahmastan, where the TMO plans to > > build, > > > > > is bad -- makes the proposed organic farming operation unlikely: > > > > > > > > > > "That part of the state is going to be out of water in about 25 > > years > > > > > at the current rate of consumption," said Mike Hayden, the > > secretary of > > > > > the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and a former Kansas > > > > > governor. > > > > > > > > > > http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/16/business/16farm.html > > > > > > > > > Think yagyas. (Endless fund raising possibilities.) > > > > > > > > > > > > Heh. The community there is very old and probably doesn't use the > > latest agricultural > > > practices. I'm willing to bet that if the TMO manages to set up an > > organic farm there, they can > > > stretch the water to last indefintely. > > > > > > > ***************** > > > > The problem is, Kansas is in the rain shadow of the Rockies, so crops > > there depend on sucking up from the Ogalalla reservoir, which will be > > empty in 25 years. So no matter how clever water use is, the water is > > still going to go away, the reason being the same as oil deposits are > > going to go away: the resource is being depleted faster than nature > > can restore it. > > >
> How much water does the MUM greenhouses use, net? > I'm not so sure that greenhouses have much of an advantage in water conservation. Most of the water probably goes into the veggies, swiss chard for instance being 94% water http://waltonfeed.com/self/h2ocont.html . The raison d'etre for heated greenhouses is being able to grow veggies year round in the Siberian climate of the Midwest, not to conserve water, although I guess there must be some savings: http://aginfo.psu.edu/psa/ws2000/green5.html One of the biggest problems with irrigated crops, especially when you try to recycle greenhouse water, is build-up of salts: "Several hundred thousand acres on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley have severe drainage problems, to the extent that the long- term productivity of the land is in question. The soil is naturally high in salt and selenium, and even "fresh" irrigation water contains salt that build up in soil over time. Farmers use irrigation water to leach unwanted salt from around crop roots, but leaching also threatens the high groundwater table. Despite their best efforts, farmers are fighting a losing battle: salt buildup from heavy irrigation is making the west side farmland less productive." http://www.caff.org/publications/aa/02_spring/farm_management.shtml To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
