Biosynomics was founded in 2018 as an Arizona nonprofit, presently seeking federal 501(c)(3) status. We have finalized the purchase of 40 acres in Arizona on which to build the Biosynomics campus. This land ajoins the Coronodo National Forest on the eastern slopes of the Chiricahua Mountains. We are working to raise the funds needed to begin construction of essential buildings and to begin planting fruit trees. If you are interested in being a part of our ambitious sustainability efforts, we welcome your inquiry about participation.
Near-term Goals:
Build a water collection system. Our goal is to be off the grid and water independent. A well with solar powered pump would serve that need, but Arizona has a groundwater problem--agricultural usage is rapidly draining aquifers statewide. Biosynomics refuses to be a party to this zero-sum game. There is another way. We will capture rainwater and store it for watering plants during the dry season. Of course, we plan to capture rainwater from roofs, but we also want catch some of the water that runs off of the mountain. We plan to build a natural rock and mortar catch pool that will serve as both a settling pond and an oasis for wildlife. When this pool fills during the monsoon season, we will capture some of the water and let the rest run down the small canyon on the property.
Construct a workshop. We will need a sheltered project space for storage of equipment and materials, as well as being a functional work space. We have big plans and will be doing some innovative things in this work space, so we would like to erect a metal building that can be used flexibly. Our plan is to build a 40'X80' pole barn with a loft, two drive-through bays, and a large side shed. One of the exciting things we plan to do right away with this shop space is to begin making our own foamcrete bricks. Foamcrete is an amazing building material that is being used all over Europe, but has not caught on in the USA. We plan to do something about that.
Construct our first ECOH (ecologically climate optimized home). The ECOH is our version of the Earthship, but with a few additions and subtractions. We love the concepts behind Earthships, but we want to eliminate the possibility of future environmental hazards associated with walls made of used tires incorporated into the structure. We have phenomenal engineers and scientists on our team, so we will be experimenting with several integrated systems that start with the wonderful Earthship conceptual foundation, but go a bit further toward improving efficiencies. For example, we want to incorporate solar water heating systems and rocket stove mass heaters for highly efficient water and space heating, and we want to experiment with compost heaters and biogas production facilities. We will be working hard to scale ECOHs to different space requirements, from studio-size dormatories (ECOH Cassitas) to family-size dwellings and beyond.
Plant a food forest. While innovation is exciting and all, we plan to employ proven strategies for feeding the world on marginal land. Permaculture is one of those proven strategies and one of the key principles of the permaculture process is to design for the future while optimizing present efforts. Trees that feed people and livestock, as well as beneficially modifying microclimates, are a first step toward creating demonstrations that we can use for teaching and research. We also plan to feed a lot of hard workers, so eventually we will be growing a variety of crops. Our goal is to provide 100% organically grown meals to our guests and volunteers.
If you are interested in learning and contributing, contact us to learn how you can get involved.