Building our window farm

Building Our Window Farm

Our window farm was first built right at the beginning of the project. We had a very good idea and design. Unfortunately and mysteriously it went missing while at school. The worst part was loosing the pump which was bought new and cost a lot of money.

We hoped it would turn up, but it never did and so on the very last day we had to start again. In a way this was good, because we had already done it once so we could improve the design in certain aspects. Still, I would rather have gone surfing, as Sunday is the only day I can do this.

What we used:

• We used 3 x 2 litre bottles. My father bought three soda water bottles, which we decanted into smaller bottles so we didnt waste the contents. First, we had to wash all the soda stream bottles and caps.
• Some string to connect the various pots.
• Cable ties - both small and medium sized.
• A submersible water pump.
• A 3 metre length of 8mm pipe.
• Recycled Coir, which is used in hanging baskets.
• Some fine plastic mesh as a second filter system.
• Brain power to think it all up. 

How we built it:

• We drew a line on the bottles to help with cutting so we cut straight.
• Once we had cut all three bottles, we punched holes in them with a normal punch. We attached small, thin cable ties to these holes. These became the hooks that we attached the strings too. The strings attached the bottles, so the water drains from the top bottle into the bottom one.
• We made sure that it was all level, by adjusting the strings and having 4 points to attach the string on each bottle.
• We cut round bits of Coir, cut three slits in them and inserted these into the bottom of the bottles so they would act like filters.
• We also added a second filtration using fine mesh to the bottoms of each bottle.
• After we had constructed the window farm, we checked that it would drain and filter and all lined up. Then we filled it with soil.
• Then we added plants.
• First we added watercress to the middle bottle.
• Then we added mint bottom bottle.
• Then we added spinach to the top bottle.

1.drawing the cutting line

2.cutting the bottle

3. cutting another bottle

4. all three bottles cut

5. all the equipment on the worktable

6. this is the soil  with added water

7. these are some plants 

8. this testing if the water will pass through the filter.

9. this is cutting more filters

10. this is a bottle with a filter and some mesh 

11. view of the bottle from the bottom with filter and mesh

12. mixing the soil in the bag

13. testing the finished window farm

14.the finished window farm

15. testing the widow farm  with a pump.

16. adding soil to the window farm

17. adding more soil to the window farm

18. adding soil to the widowfarm

19. finished soil in bottle 

20. adding  watercress seeds to the window farm

21. planting mint in the window farm

22. planting spinach in the window farm

Reflection

Reflections on building a window farm by Robert Jack

This project has been fun, but hard as I (R Jack) misplaced a few things along the way. I lost my window farm when it was nearly finished. This caused a huge setback. I managed to build a new one on the last day before it was due. This caused my partner and me lots of stress.

The window farm was therefore my best part of the project and also my worst, because of the stress. Right at the last minute, once I had almost put the second window farm together, I discovered that the new pump I bought was not strong enough to pump the required height. It felt like I had stumbled at the last hurdle and let my partner down. Luckily, my mother remembered that there was an old submersible water pump in a water feature in the garden, but it hadn't been used for years. It was already dark outside. We had to remove all the stones and completely dismantle this old water feature. Then I had to clean the pump and the electrical cable. Finally we plugged it in and amazingly enough, it still worked. That was a huge relief, because there was not enough time to purchase a new pump before we had to hand in the window farm. 

I liked building it, because it was a creative process, and it let me do something that was good for the environment and for the earth.

In fact I would go so far as to say that building the window farm has been my favourite project I have undertaken since I have been at Bishops.

I liked cutting the 2 litre bottles and then putting them together. Building a window farm is like a giant puzzle, but you have to build it in your head first.

Other reflections

I felt very guilty when I lost the first window farm I had built. I felt responsible that we might fail as a result, but I corrected the situation by working through the whole of Sunday.

Things I enjoyed most:

• working as a group.
• having a good time.
• sharing all of this stuff.

Things that I am grateful for:

• having a very patient partner.
• not getting criticized for every mistake.
• finding an old water pump in a disused water feature at the last minute and also that it worked

Thomas Mudge's reflection

I (Thomas Mudge) have had much fun making this blog. It has taken a lot of time and energy to come up with this but it was very worthwhile.

I was grateful for Robert doing the window farm this weekend. I know he struggled but he pulled it together and has produced a masterpiece. I am so proud of him.

Things we need to improve on:

• Communication ( getting one anothers cellphone numbers )

Pictures of our window farm in the Biology lab

Robert Jack with our window farm

Thomas Mudge with our window farm

What are window farms ?

Welcome to our blog.We hope you will be informed and encouraged to create a Window farm.This idea deals with a possible solution to food scarcity.Everybody can have a window garden.

You may ask what is a window farm ?

A window farm is ideally a little garden in water bottles that is close to windows so that it can use the light to grow. Britta Riley first created a window farm when she moved into an apartment in New York.She saw that she didn't have enough space to have a garden on her balcony and she didn't want to create a mess in her apartment from the soil.She encourages the greater community to create these gardens through her website.  People in various cities throughout the world have embarked on her plan and made a variety of different window gardens, many networking and improving their designs.  The map of all the cities throughout the world taking on this program is exciting and gives hope for possible food security.
Watch her TED talk as she explains Window farms and how they work.






From http://www.windowfarms.com/


Until our next post,

Bye from Robert and Tom