Radiant Roots

Phase 3: Build / Test

03.01 Film Festival

03.02 Business Profile / Budgets (Shark Tank)

Radiant Roots Business Plan

“Harvesting Hope.”

Executive Summary:

MISSION STATEMENT:

To develop self-sustainable community gardens to help quell the issue of food insecurity that those in Rural North Carolina face.

VISION STATEMENT:

“To grow a better future, by growing better gardens.”

OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES: 

The advantage that sets us apart is we are a product unlike any other that exists, no other product exists like ours. There aren't many self-reliant community gardens in existence and the only couple ones that do exist are not only very much expensive ($8,000 price range) and aren't really meant to grow food to be eaten. 

The Industry:

INDUSTRY TRENDS: 

We are a non-profit organization that is constantly trying to help with food insecurity, therefore we enter the charity area. Most other organizations similar to us are trying to solve food insecurity with other methods or the same as us.

WHERE WE FIT:

As we have described before we are a non-profit organization therefore we are charity-based and trying to solve a real problem in North Carolina. 

Market Analysis:

TARGET MARKET:

Radiant Root's mission is to design a small but efficient greenhouse that produces produce for rural areas and low-income communities. With these greenhouses, Radiant Roots hopes to reduce the overall percentage of food insecurity in North Carolina.

TARGET CONSUMER:  

Our ideal target consumer is someone who needs free produce with low maintenance required in their community.

TOP PRIORITIES/NEEDS OF THE MARKET: 

• Our greenhouses would improve many people’s lives.  

• As we stated earlier, we aim to lower the food insecurity percentage in North Carolina.

• Allow people to grow their own produce, which would hopefully lower their stress about food.

MARKET SIZE AND POTENTIAL/ANTICIPATED MARKET SHARE:

Radiant Root’s mission is to build greenhouses in rural and low-income communities where food insecurity is predominant.  Although there won’t be a lot of construction in urban areas, our target is rural and low-income communities to lesson food insecurity.

 Competitive Analysis:

SWOT ANALYSIS REFLECTION: 

Our strengths and opportunities match together since we use our donations normally to buy and create gardens for communities in need. However, donations and money are difficult to keep since our non-profit standing causes our collection to stray low to our wanted goal.

Costs/Benefits Analysis:

COSTS/BENEFITS ANALYSIS REFLECTION: 

As our company is a non-profit organization, we strive to provide a product for the greater good of the communities we are serving instead of looking for profit. As such, our costs are related to the costs of spreading the message of our organization, and our benefits coming as a result of the costs.

Management Plan:

FUTURE EMPLOYMENT STRUCTURE:

• Owners and Roles:

• Julian Echevarria Galarza: President of the Company, Head Designer, Team Lead.

• Nolan Hunter: Vice President of the Company, Head of P.R., Organizational manager, Lead spokesperson. 

• Alejandro Herrera: Vice President of the Company, Research Manager, Head of Community Outreach, Social Media Manager.

• Angel Zapata-Dominguez: Vice President of the Company, Secondary Designer, Head of Agriculture, Resource Acquisition Management.

Since our company is a non-profit organization, a majority of the employees would be contractors and volunteers who would help implement the products in their designated locations. However, we would hire small teams focusing on marketing and other community outreach processes.

Operating Plan:

ANALYZED BUSINESS BUDGET (PROPOSED):  

After reviewing our business plan, we would need a budget of $800-$1000 to create our first product, with the hope of getting a similar amount in continuous donations to our organization. In our prospects, we hope to make each garden cheaper to produce as to give extra funding the communities we help. 

YEAR-1 BUSINESS GOALS: 

• We will set up our donations site for potential sponsors to gift us precious donations. This will be done by creating a site that can take donations connected to a bank account. This will allow us to keep the money in a secure account so we can use what’s needed for the product.

• We will gift our first community gardens to the customers. We’ll do this by putting out the community gardens on our website to promote their usage of it. 

• We will set up a support email for those in need of anything related to the gardens. This will be done by having a phone number and an email for customers to get the tech support needed for the gardens.

• Keep contact with the communities to make sure everything goes well with the gardens. This will be done by having social media and having a number for the users to have so they can contact us and we can contact them. 

YEAR-3 BUSINESS GOALS: 

• We’ll utilize an office space to hold the gardens for future donations by buying a space. This will allow us to have a storage system and to have investors see what we have to offer.

• To keep donations coming, we will do showcases of the community gardens. This will be done by having presentations in front of life audiences to showcase what we have to offer.  

YEAR-5 BUSINESS GOALS: 

We’ll continue to improve our gardens by using the income used after the donations to improve the parts that may need upgrading or maintenance. By having excess gardens, we’ll have them ready for review so we can know if we need to complete anything or redo anything on the gardens.

FUTURE/SECONDARY PRODUCTS:  

As our non-profit grows and expands, we would like to add additional variations of our product that could make the product even more accessible. This would include systems that are smaller in size to fit in smaller yards or community centers. Similarly, we would like to implement this system to be functional in other containers, to make the product even more versatile for our users. We would also like to make an “Education” line of products, which would focus on bringing smaller versions of our system to classrooms to educate children on the importance of eating healthy and how we are helping raise access to healthy food.

Radiant Roots Standard Budget:

Radiant Roots Dream Budget:

Reflection:

Overall, the project budget will impact our project moving forward pretty majorly. At one point, everything we've been doing has simply been our ideas. We didn't need money beforehand so budget for example was just something that hasn't really been affecting our project. Now that we are building up our project, our budget will have a major effect on it. Depending on the budget we have, changes up how much materials we could then get in order to build our project. In order to get the materials we needed most, it was important do to an assignment like this in which we planned out how much money we needed and where each dollar would be spent towards. 

Overall budget definitely has a major impact on a project like ours. The more money we have, the more polished our building will be, the less money we have admittedly means the less polished and more simple our final product may end up being. Doesn't necessarily make it a bad thing, but it will result in a product of lesser quality than one built up very well. Business planning doesn't impact the project all too much truth be told. This part of the assignment is thinking about our company far into the future and as well-developed, but this isn't something we as Radiant Roots really see going that far after this expo, which is why this part of the assignment doesn't have any major impact towards what we do in phase 3.

03.03 Marketing and Advertising

Now with our group, we did have two posters just to have multiple to be able to advertise with more posters to people, but in terms of the “main” one and to be used for the expo, it'll be the second one. 

The main message of the second poster is to understand what the basic idea of our product is. When a person sees our poster the idea is they first get their attention caught by the giant symbol of a solar panel along with our tagline underneath it. Right after, said person could take one look down into the middle of our poster which helps explain at least the basics, in a quick manner, what it is we tend to do without our product as Radiant Roots and why it is we're making a product like this. Along with that, an image of our product will be seen next to these bullet points for said person to help get the idea of what our product looks like. Then of course at the very end of it all is our logo and team name so people know who we are. Overall the main “message” of our poster is to just allow people to know what Radiant Roots is all about and how our product is intended to work. Because we show our name as well, if people are interested in our product, it'll allow them to easily find us during the expo and we as a group can explain our work more thoroughly to those interested.

03.04 STEAM Principles

Science

In this project, each Principle of STEAM has interacted with our project in major and helpful ways. The first principle is “Science” and it describes the idea of a collection of data, social science, biology, and material selection. At the start of our project data collection was a major thing that impacted our project as once having our idea, we needed to collect data about what people liked, what they'd want to change, what improvements could be made, etc. A lot of Phase 1 and even a bit of Phase 2 was just gathering data that would then help flesh out our idea more as a group. In terms of the different types of science, biology is the one with the most impact on our project just due to the nature of us dealing with plants, meaning we do need to have an understanding of how plants grow and what type of environment they grow in, in order to, yield a much more effective working product. Material selection was also really important, especially in this phase as the materials we get are what will ultimately impact our product by the end of things. We had to make sure we put a lot of thought into what materials would be best for our product, what we actually had, and what we could get. 

Technology

Technology helped us out a bit especially when it came to making a 3D model of our product during phase 2 which ultimately helped flesh out our design from our original sketches. Due to making the 3D model, it allowed us to get a sense of what it was our product would look like in terms of a 3D space instead of just our sketches. Along with that technology is just how a lot of this project gets done, such as using technology to do this portfolio, or keeping track of the testing we have to do for our prototype. With the prototype testing, we’ll need to use technology in order to keep track of our data and update said data when aspects of our project change. 

Engineering

Engineering was a major principle of this project which makes sense as this is an engineering class. All throughout this project we had to follow the design process. We asked ourselves what problem exists that needs to be solved, we researched it finding out how we can make a potential solution to our issue, then of course we sketched ideas, asked for feedback, refined our design, and now we're at a point where we are building a prototype. Problem-solving was something we did a lot throughout this project as problems would arise, meaning we as a group had to work together and ultimately figure out the best solution to move forward from the current predicament. 

Art

Art was very important for this project, especially during phase 1 as we were coming up with our team identity. Coming up with our team identity included a lot of things such as having unique team colors that stood out from others, yet were simple and eye-catching. Along with that figuring out a logo for our team was an important thing for us to do as we needed to determine what would be simple yet stand out. The art principle allowed us to stand out from other groups and be very original when compared to others, originality is important in order to differentiate ourselves from our other peers.

Math

Lastly, math was a big principle due to the fact that every aspect under the math principle is something we did. We surveyed and collected a lot of data in Phase 1. Julian while making the original sketches and updated ones had to measure and scale the drawings and figure out just how big our actual prototype should be. This is something we changed up a lot during our project as we constantly had to figure out what is the perfect size we want our product to be. If this was an actual product meant to be given out, ideally it would be much bigger, but for the sake of this product, using math, we had to figure out what is the optimal size of our product, scaling it down for the prototype. Budgeting is something we as a group talked a lot about during phases 2-3 of this project. Now with phase 3, we are going to use the math principle in order to help us collect data on our prototype. 

Profession Profile:

03.05 BoM, Tools, Knowledge

Items:

• Wood

• Nails 

• Water pump

• Clear plastic tube

• Hose Clamp 

• Zip ties 

• Timer 

• Solar panels 

• Hose adapter 

Access:

• Wood: We would buy the wood at stores but in our case, we are getting all materials from Oakdale Greenhouses. The wood in question, is from the greenhouse because they are helping.

• Nails: The nails like the wood can be bought in places such as Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. But the materials are from the greenhouse 

• Water pump: The water pump we have was given/donated to us by Oakdale greenhouses, the water pump is made by vivosun a company that makes tools for gardens and aquariums.

• Clear plastic tube: These again were given/donated by Oakdale greenhouse, but they are available at home depot or lowes.

• Hose Clamp: The horse clamps used were donated by Oakdale Greenhouse but they are available at home depot or lowes.

• Zip ties: Zip ties are found in home depot or lowes, but again they were donated to us by Oakdale greenhouses.

• Timer: Timer was donated by oakdale greenhouses.

• Solar panels: Solar panels were given by CEEC, and hope to have more donated.

• Hose adapter: Hose adapters were given by Oakdale greenhouse but can be found in home depot or lowes.

How to use:

• Wood: The wood needs to be cut in certain angles and sizes so they can fit and we can create a table.

• Nails: The nails will just be used to connect the wood.

• Water pump: The water pump simply is but in water and then separately connected to an outlet, in our case to the timer which is connected to the solar panels. Once the pump is connected water is pump out the tube.

• Clear plastic tube: The simply are the connection throughout the garden from the pump to the irrigation system and to the basin.

• Hose Clamp: To prevent any leaks from the connecting adapters. Simply put the hose clamp in the desired area and tighten with a screwdriver.

• Zip ties: They were used to secure the tubes and timer were set in place since nails could not be used on them. Simply put the zip tie where needed and tighten until object is secured.

• Timer: Timer is to be plugged into a electrical source. The timer is to be set up to desired time.

• Solar panels: Solar panels are to be setup and then plug everything to those solar panels.

• Hose adapter: They are used to connect tubes but is important to have the right size.

Knowledge: 

Tools: 

• Team members are expected to know how to use certain tools. For example, solar panels are not essential knowledge to have. But tools that were used for table are required to have knowledge on them to prevent any injury.

Work ethic: 

• Workers are to put their best work on the board and focus their efforts on knowing how to utilize the resources given to them for gardening. If something is hard, they will ask for help and strive to do their best even if the task is difficult.

Compatibility: 

• Botany isn’t always a one-person task; larger projects may need groups. Having the capability to work with others and combine ideas to care for crops properly is crucial for keeping a garden afloat and a business thriving.

Detail-oriented:

• Every crop isn’t simple to grow. Some may require more maintenance than others, and knowing this helps with keeping things together. Knowing the differences between multiple crops to allow for their full growth is key for success.

Compassionate:

• When it comes to people or crops, they require time to grow. Utilizing the ability to show others the kindness available to them and through crops is needed by workers. Patience is required since crops, as stated previously, take time to grow and projects may take longer than expected.

Open-mindedness:

• Unexpected incidents can happen during the building process. The sun may not work properly with the solar panels, the crops may be impacted by too much rain, or there isn’t enough time to grow the plants. Being open to taking your time ties greatly into the patience needed by workers.

03.06 Testing Standards

Testing Standards for our product and its components:

Wood table:

• ASTM D1761-20

5.1: The resistance of a species of wood to a fastener (Nails, Screws, Staples) is determined by the woods abi;ity to be fastened by these materials in the first place, which depends on wood species, finish, physical changes, and withdrawal time between testing.

5.2: Using consistent fasteners on wood products helps the dexterity of the fastened connection, even between two different species of wood.

• ASTM D5652-21

4.1: The strength of single bolt connections in wood products is reliant on the properties of the wood being fasten and the location it is being fastened. Factors such as member thickness, moisture level, edge distance, type of bolt, wood fabrication, use of preservatives, and fire retardant components affect the success of the fastener in the wood.

• ASTM D8023-23

1.1: Round wood dowels used in wood-to-wood peg connecctions shall have diameters from 1/2 in. to 2 in. . Diameters shall not be more than 2% oversize, nor less than 1% undersize, and shall not vary, along a wood dowel length (other than deliberate chamfer) more than 1%. Wood dowels shall be fabricated to ensure that the wood fibers are aligned with the longitudinal axis of the dowel. They shall be fabricated from any species of wood that has an oven dry specific gravity of at least 0.57; from wood that has been air-dried or kiln-dried to approximately constant weight before fabrication; and from clear, straight-grained timber free from any form of decay. Furthermore, wood dowels shall be protected with a treatment of paraffin wax, or similar sealing substance capable of inhibiting the absorption of moisture from the atmosphere.

• ASTM D2915-17(2022)

1.1: When conducting wood based products structural integrity, one must follow the following documentation and testing steps for occurdance to ASTM practices:

• Grade name and Description

• Geographical area over which sampling will take place

• Species or species group 

• Time span for sampling 

• Lumber size

• Moisture content. 

• ASTM D7031-11(2019)

4.1: WPCs (Wood-Plastic-Composite structors) are intended for use in both structural and non-structural applications. WPCs constructed from recycled virgin wood and of temoplastic sources are for use in non-structural components only.

Solar Energy:

• IEC 62093:2005

1.1: Balance of System (BOS) components are suitable for indoor, conditioned or unconditioned; or outdoor in open-air climates, protected or unprotected, when applied to terrestrial Photovoltaic (PV) systems. Items include batteries, inverters, charge controllers, system diode packages, heat sinks, surge protectors, system junction boxes, maximum power point tracking devices and switch gear, but may be applicable to other BOS components as well.

• IEC 62446-1:2016

1.1: All documentation is required to be handed over to a customer following the installation of a grid connected Photovoltaic (PV) system. Such documentation includes commissioning tests, inspection criteria, and documentation expected to verify the safe installation and correct operation of the system. It is for use by system designers and installers of grid connected solar PV systems as a template to provide effective documentation to the customer.

• IEC 60364-7-712:2017

1.1: The electrical installation of Photovoltaic (PV) systems is intended to supply all or part of an installation. The equipment of a PV installation, like any other item of equipment, is dealt with only so far as its selection and application in the installation is concerned. This is taking into account the experience gained in the construction and operation of PV installations, and developments made in technology during installation.

• IEC TS 62257-1:2015

1.1: The methodology for implementing rural electrification using autonomous hybrid renewable energy systems is reliant on the quality of sunlight and ambient temperatures of the area. Setting up decentralized rural electrification in developing countries or in developed countries relies on the aforementioned factors as well.

• IEC 61730-1:2016

1.1: Specifies and describes the fundamental construction requirements for photovoltaic (PV) modules in order to provide safe electrical and mechanical operation. Specific topics are provided to assess the prevention of electrical shock, fire hazards, and personal injury due to mechanical and environmental stresses. This International Standard series lays down IEC requirements of terrestrial photovoltaic modules suitable for long-term operation in open-air climates. This standard is intended to apply to all terrestrial flat plate module materials such as crystalline silicon module types as well as thin-film modules.

• IEC 61730-2:2016

1.1:  The testing sequence intended to verify the safety of Photovoltaic (PV) modules whose construction has been assessed by IEC 61730-1. The test sequence and pass criteria are designed to detect the potential breakdown of internal and external components of PV modules that would result in fire, electric shock, and/or personal injury. The standard defines the basic safety test requirements and additional tests that are a function of the PV module end-use applications. Test categories include general inspection, electrical shock hazard, fire hazard, mechanical stress, and environmental stress. This new edition includes the following significant technical changes.

• ASTM E2848-13(2023)

5.1: It is the users responsibility to ensure that the correct test is being applied for the correct system that is being observed.

5.2: Unlike device level measurements, these test require the measurement of the ambient temperature around the system.

5.2.1: These tests are much more indicative of the systems performance when compared to systems that run on colder temperatures.

5.2.2: Using ambient temperature measurements reduces the complexity of the data acquisition and analysis due to the stable nature of ambient temperature in comparison to the system.

5.2.3: The user must pick a uniform time interval to conduct study as to reduce the chances of mismatched information

5.2.4: It is assumed that the observed performance of the system does not degrade or change over the time period of observation

5.3:  Irridance will be measured for each plane that the test is conducted on. If multiple planes exist, each result must be recorded accordingly.

5.3.1: Results will be measured in a linear format of irrudance, ambient temperature, and wind speed during the time observed.

5.4: Accumulation of dirt may affect the results of the data, and such, all systems must be tested before the implementation of soil within the system.

5.5: Repeated test and calculations of the irudance of the system over different period of times may be conducted to asses the preformance changes as a function of time.

5.6: Capacity determinations are power measurments of adequate quality to measure the complexity of a system. However, a single capacity measurement does not provide sufficient information to project the energy generation potential of the system over time. Factors that may affect energy generation over time include: module power degradation, inverter clipping and overloading, shading, backtracking, extreme orientations, and filtering criteria.

• ASTM E3325-21

6.1: The primary goal of  Sampling of Solar Photovoltaic Modules is to extract samples form PV (Photovoltaic) modules for TCLP toxicity testing from unbiased resources.

6.2: Solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in the United States and the world reaching end-of-life due to failure, underperformance or breakage due to extreme weather have to be recycled or otherwise safely disposed of following the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulation [United States, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Pub.L. 94–580, October 1976]. For end-of-life PV modules, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 1311 (TCLP) is used for waste characterization based on leaching potential under simulated landfill conditions.

6.3: Commercial PV modules contain compounds and alloys of various metals (for example, Ag, Al, Cd, Cu, Ga, In, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, Te, Zn) which are used in semiconductor compounds and electrical contacts.5 Modules that pass the EPA Method 1311 TCLP test, and state protocols (if applicable), can be disposed of in a regular landfill. Otherwise, they are classified as hazardous waste and must go through a more onerous and expensive disposal process. Currently, there is no national or international standard, nor a standardized protocol available for removal of test samples from PV modules for toxicity testing per the EPA Method 1311 standard.

6.4: The validity of the toxicity of test results is dependant on the location of the extracted materials and the size of the particles collected to ensure unbiased reports. 

6.5: The development and application of homogenous and repetitive sampling allows for components to be compared to ensure they are within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulatory mandates.

Irrigation:

• STP47249S

1.1: For quantitatively assessing irrigation water quality, many factors are at hand for determining their quality. Except for extremely unsuitable waters, irrigation water quality can be assessed only in the context of the conditions under which the water is to be used. These conditions include the infiltration rate of the soil (I), the evapotranspiration rate (E), the irrigation frequency and duration (tc and ti, respectively) the net downward drainage rate below the root zone (O) and the maximum permissible salinity and chloride concentration for the crop to be grown (ECd and Cld, respectively). When drainage is non-limiting, the potential leaching fraction (LF) is given by: LF = 1 − (Etc/Iti) and when drainage is limiting by: LF = O/(E + O). The maximum permissible EC and Cl concentration of irrigation waters (ECi and Cli, respectively) are calculated from: ECi = LF × ECd and Cli = LF × Cld. Potential leaching fraction calculations will also be useful for estimating CaCO3 precipitation, and the degree to which specific toxic materials will be concentrated as water is evapotranspired.

• STP47250S

1.1: There is no single set of criteria for water quality for supplemental water irrigation because of the interactive aspect of water irrigation. This includes chemicals, sand, soil, and other foreign material that happens to get stuck in the water systems and is brought into the reservoir. Criteria will differ depending upon whether irrigation is used for crop production or land disposal of effluents.

• STP13787S

1.1: Surface irrigation in North Carolina have often been neglected and mistreated, resulting in failure of the systems and its composite pieces. To ensure that successful irrigation occurs in these surface irrigation systems hinges on accurate soil and site investigations, suitable agronomic receiver sites (agricultural, forested, urban areas, recreational areas...), proper design of wastewater treatment methods and components, and a firm understanding of disposal methods. This paper explores remedies to common problems encountered with spray irrigation systems in central and eastern North Carolina.

• D1598 – F2735

8.04: Highlights the specifications of practices, and testing methods for plastic piping systems that deal with composites, DWV, fittings, gas pipe, joining, land drainage, sewer pipes, trenchless technology, vinyl-based pipe, and irrigation systems.

03.07 Testing Tables

Expected outcomes: 

For the prototype we have until now, we don’t claim this to be close to the final product. To begin, the irrigation system is not fully functional as there are some leakages as of the time of this being written, although the irrigation system is leaking now, for the final product this will change. We expected that 9 out of the 12 irrigation sprinklers will be functioning. For the water pump, we expected the water pump to be fully functional, no issues should arise since the water pump is new and unused.   

Finally, for the overall testing table, we have 5 variables that are to be tested: The overall functionality of the irrigation system, the overall functionality of the water pump, and the overall functionality of the solar panels, does the timer work? And are the plants growing? We expected for a 50/50 percentage that our irrigation system to be fully functional. The water pump is expected to be fully functional. The solar panels are expected to be fully functional. The timer is also expected to be fully functional. Unfortunately as the time of writing this, plants are unable to be put in our product but when fully functional, we expect the plants to grow.

03.08  Prototype Building

Stage 1 of Building:

Angel Discussing the Plan:

Phase 1 of building was pretty simple as it involved Alejandro and Angel working together to build up the base of the table that will be used for the community garden. During this phase of building Alejandro and Angel were building each part of the wall and table legs for then the table to be fully put together in the next stage. 

Mentor Advice: Our mentor Victor Zapata, gave Alejandro and Angel advice during the building of the table pieces. This advice included information such as extending the table a bit so it ends up being just a bit bigger. Along with that, we were told to include a covering on the inside of the table to keep the inside things such as the dirt protected from falling out. 

Next Plans/Discussion Ideas from the group after this phase 1: After this, the next steps for Angel and Alejandro would be putting the table together and making sure it's strong enough to hold up heavy weight. Along with that, it's important to make sure our table has the space in order to let the water irrigation system power through.

Stage 2 of Building:

Angel Building:

Alejandro Building:

Phase 2 of building was putting the table fully together. By this point, the main skeleton of the prototype is finished as Alejandro and Angel completed work on the table. The table is able to hold heavy weight and includes interior pieces such as our mentor advised us to include. Overall this is essentially our product just without the irrigation system. 

Mentor Advice: Our mentor liked how things ended off so nothing much was said in terms of what we needed to fix or change up, overall our mentor liked where we ended things off during this stage. 

Next Plans: The next stage would include working on the water irrigation system, without it our project would be nothing after all. This is something Angel has agreed to be in charge of when it comes to building up. 

Stage 3 of Building:

Angel Explaining:

Phase 3 of building included Angel figuring out how to fix up the water irrigation system for the garden. In his work, Angel figured out how to get the water pump to pump water throughout the pipes allowing extra water to flow back into the basin. 

Next Plans: The next plans would include making sure the sprinklers work in the water irrigation system to actually allow water to flow into the table itself as well.

Stage 4 of Building:

Video Test 1:

Video Test 2:

Video Test 3:

Phase 4 is as far as we’ll get in time for the end of phase 3. The table's irrigation system works pretty well. The table was managed well. Overall nothing too much can be said here as everything is moving pretty well with the prototype.

Next Plans: The next plan would be to connect the power source of the table to the solar panels we have. The solar panels are supposed to be our power source so this is what we as a group are going to figure out next in terms of what will change and develop for the project. 

03.09  Testing Results

Reflection:

 Overall we as a group are proud of how far we got with this prototype. It's working pretty well for how far we've built things. The next steps we want to take as a group definitely boil down to making the panels work with the table. Our whole point of the project is that our garden is powered by solar panels, so this takes an immediate president over everything else in terms of what we need to fix up in time for the expo. 

Mentor Feedback: Overall our mentor very much liked the progress that was being made with the prototype. Although he did agree there were still areas to make improvements towards. Such ideas include finding a way to cover the holes on the side of the walls to then prevent things such as dirt from just coming out. He suggested we change out the pipes, especially the ones at the bottom of the table, the ones we currently have are very short and even struggle a bit to get into the water basin. He then also gave us suggestions to connect the solar panels with possibly an adaptor. The only issue is that currently, we don't just have one at our disposal but we will figure that out. 

Paragraph Summary:

Overall this completed testing data has helped inform us of what we need to do next for this project to make our table better built than it is now. Our testing data is in no way “complete”, but that's not a bad thing at all. The testing data allows us to learn what it is we need to go back and fix. So far, the water pump works very well and doesn't need any fixing which means we're good there. The water irrigation system needs some light work done to fix it mainly in terms of the ending pipe being replaced in order to actually get water back into the basin. The main issues that we as a group need to address and in turn retest most relate to the solar panels and timers. 

Once we figure out how to connect the solar panels to the irrigation system we will need to conduct a retest. We are currently having issues connecting the two due to the fact that the water pump doesn't easily connect to the solar panels due to having two different types of connections, because of this, we couldn't get much testing done together with the panel and table. This is something we’ll definitely need to figure out as the whole point of the project is we are solar-powered. Once we figure that out a retest will commence in order to figure out how well solar panels work with our project instead of electrical power. 

The timer is also something we need to figure out. We're just at a point of trying to figure out how we can make it work hand in hand with the irrigation system. This isn't something we figured out during this testing period, but will be along with figuring out our solar panel situation. Once this is figured out, re-testing will commence with our table gathering data on how our timer is able to time when the irrigation works and stops working.

03.10  Peer/Mentor Feedback 

Feedback Provided by: [JP, Rudy, Amelia, and Emmanuel]

• Portfolio

The portfolio is nicely organized with everything labeled and in its proper phases. It is very easy to navigate and all of the information is easy to find.

• BoM, Tools, and Knowledge

All of the information is clearly displayed. Items, access, and how to use are all clearly displayed with well throughout and thorough descriptions. The knowledge and what they are specifically talking about is very clear. 

• STEAM Principles

The canva for the career path you guys chose is nicely put together. The visuals are good along with the information being very informative and interesting. I also really liked the steam connection it taught me a lot and about things I haven’t really thought about before. 

• Testing Tables

Your tests in your testing tables are well thought out and I think test your product very well. It is also very clear on what rating you guys are giving it and the reasoning behind this rating. 

• Prototype Building

You guys show clear advancement in your prototype and It is actually quite cool how your prototype has developed so far. I'm excited to see it at the expo.

Strengths:

• Very organized

• Well throughout and worded content

• Everything is very well documented

• Good analysis on your testing tables

Areas of Growth:

• Maybe an image or more added to steam principles would really make it good

• The way you guys worded a couple things were a little confusing

• Maybe add a bit more to your testing table reflections

• Google folder is a little confusing at times

Other General Notes / Feedback:

• I really like what you guys have so far, expo should be good

• Everything overall is really good

• Your prototype is really good

• Testing results were good

03.11  Planning for Success at the EXPO

Starting with the portfolios, the singular thing that can be added is including in the header, the ability to jump to the table of contents. This can be helpful since it can lessen the need to search for the table of contents on the left side of the computer or to scroll up to it. When it comes to the documentaries, the best idea was including mentors in the video and making sure to include music and prototype pictures. The websites showed great detail such as the contact us section and the videos from the documentary and building timelapse. There was also information about how the airplane was built through multiple videos and explanations.

The AI prompts used: 

‘What are the major flaws in the argument made by this student project concerning our ability to defend our design process as being successful?’

‘What are the top 20 questions that might be asked of this student group if they had to defend this project thesis in front of a panel of judges?’

Summary of AI prompts: 

For the first question the AI response consist of many detailed questions. For example, our main goal is to create a greenhouse who solely relies on solar panels. We have stated this various times throughout presentation, but AI asked us the following question:What are the specifications (wattage, voltage, efficiency) of the solar panels you are using?”. We never thought about this question been asked. There are various similar questions to this one. Most of them asking for design specifications and weight limitations for the water system and electrical system. AI was also concerned about some of our facts and statements that said our greenhouse was going to optimize sunlight exposure.

AI was very open and direct with us when stating the following “Claiming a successful design process is premature when these fundamental issues remain unresolved.” AI is on point so far, we don’t have a finished product. Our product has taken several turns over the months of building. The systems aren’t quite finished yet but we are closer to getting to the final product.  

AI finally ask 20 questions. Most of these questions like earlier want to go more depth into our design. Did we have plan A, B, C? AI essentially wants us to detail our project much more depth. AI here has helped us reflect that we are leaving some unanswered questions and we will do our best to find solutions for the questions. 

The dates spent looking at the portfolio have mainly been every library day. At least the portfolio is looked at every day since the assignments are placed there while the website is normally left alone until the assignments are placed on it. The documentary is thought of when it’s time to make a video, so there aren’t any exact dates spent reviewing much of the three tasks.

03.XX  EXPO Book Discussion #2

Book Title: Market Garden: A Permaculture Farm

Author: Darrel Frey

Dates: 2/28/25

EXPO Book 02 / Discussion 01 2/28/25 

Members present: Nolan Hunter, Alejandro Herrera, Angel Zapata-Dominguez, Julian Echevarria Galarza

Link to discussion recording: Book Discussion 1

Q1: In what one or two broad ways did the big idea(s) from the book inform my project? Explain.

This book is much more conceptual, but these ideas help us in terms of learning how we can explain our project at the expo. It doesn't especially change our design for example. This book though, still helps in informing our ideas to others overall. With this book, it'll help us be able to actually explain our project at least in a more effective way that will get people to fully understand what it is our project is working towards. 

Q2: In what three smaller ways did the more specific ideas from the book inform my project? Explain. 

• Renewable: The book discusses the idea of renewability, something that has helped inform our project as this is a topic we've recently been discussing a lot, the idea of how well keep our garden renewable, especially when it comes to parts breaking down. Our items are meant to be easily fixed in order to be used indefinitely. - 

• Recyclability: This point relates back to the last, the book does discuss the idea of reliability with gardens which is something we want to implement with our garden. We want these parts to be recyclable in order to make sure our garden is actually working well with the environment  and does not encounter any issues with the specific type of items we end up using for the garden. 

• Ecosystems: Ecosystems are heavily tied with gardens, this is something that the book gets into and something that our group will discuss as well. In our garden we also will take the ecosystem into consideration, from where the gardens placed to what animals and life forms will affect our garden. 

Q3: What three passages require more consideration as a group, and why? And, what did my group think about each of them?

The group thought that the passages were intriguing and had a deep part in the conversation. Chapter 6, 1, and 2 do to the topics about pests, which is a big part. Farms require time, and 1 and 2 both discuss information about farms and the importance of a healthy diet. 

Q4: What four topics, issues, or passages from the book do we need to discuss further, and why?

Food Desert: These are big parts of areas that don’t have high access to markets used for organic foods. This can cause places to have close to zero options. Potentially, these options can be fast food which isn’t healthy for constant use. 

Organic Foods: This is useful for most people since foods that aren’t heavily modified can be used for meals and support the aspect of staying healthy through your body and mind.

Healthy Diet: This aspect is needed for showcasing health and making sure the individual has the materials to create their own meal, which supports independence and positivity.

Permaculture: Since this is a crucial part of the book and discusses information about sustainability, we need to know about this due to its effect on the environment.

EXPO Book 02 / Discussion 02 3/12/25

Members present: Nolan Hunter, Alejandro Herrera, Angel Zapata-Dominguez, Julian Echevarria Galarza

Link to discussion recording: Book Discussion 2

Q1: What did the author want the audience to take away from the book?

The author mainly wanted us to take away the idea of permaculture, along with the idea of sustainability with gardens, and making it sustainable not only for the consumer but also to the consumer. The author wanted us to take away also this idea of gardens and farms, not just necessarily a step-by-step way to grow farms. 

Q2: How is the book still widely relevant today in your chosen field?

It’s really relevant due to speaking on topics such as organic food, something we are growing with our garden, and want to then give out to people. Organic food, while being much healthier, is very much harder to find than something such as fast food. The book discusses that issue.

Even then, the books also discuss ideas that were trying to follow, ideas that will solve areas of food deserts, something this book discusses. 

Q3: What issues were left unclear after reading the book?

While the book discusses how to grow commercial gardens/farms, it doesn't help that they don't really explain how they got the money to do these things. If they explained it, that would have been helpful information to have known. The first book we read had little stories from individuals, which we thought would have been good for this book as well. 

Q4: What interview questions would you have for the author if you could interview them?

• What inspired you to write a book like this, to pursue this type of culture and idea? 

• Did you want to make commercial farming more eco-friendly? 

• How does permaculture improve health and economics? 

• How do you get the materials to make a farm such as these? 

Book 2 Summary:

     The book “Market Garden: A Permaculture Farm” by Darrell Frey is mainly focusing around the idea of permaculture. Permaculture is a design system, this design is meant to mimic natural ecosystems. For example, pesticides are an issue with a lot of greenhouses and farms. The author offers a solution, permaculture essentially allows for other insects to interact within the ecosystem in farms, therefore creating a natural predator for unwanted insects. The book overall goes over the principles of permaculture. 

   One, permaculture is a mimic of natural ecosystems. So the best idea is to find places with natural bodies of water. Many greenhouse find large bodies of water to reduce cost. But large bodies of water such as lakes or reservoirs, or more commonly wells are beneficial because of the natural water being imputed. These large bodies of water and rainwater would create a natural environment for plants. 

   Another suggestion from the book is to grow crops together instead of just one. Many greenhouses and farms that are industrial grow only one specific type of produce. Of course this is because they need to make profit but overall effects negativity. With growing only one certain type of produce. These farms become prone to insects that have no predators, therefore these farms have to use pesticides which overall harms the environment. With permaculture, introducing other produces can lead to other beneficial insects that become natural predators to the harmful ones. This also makes for biodiversity which is overall beneficial.  

   Due to the information we as a group gained from the book we did realize that the book was going to genuinely be very helpful in terms of our project. While the book does discuss greenhouses in the context of actual professionally made and kept ones, and ours is very amateur, it still does allow us to gain valuable advice that we can then implement into our own project. The idea of permaculture was very helpful for us to realize we should do things such as think about what type of habitat we want with our garden. How we want to keep our product recyclable, and how we’ll keep its life cycle high.

   Reading this book gave our group a clear vision as to how we can move forward with the project. Aside from these design aspects, it also allowed us to figure out a better way to explain our project. Admilitty, we could tell people didn't have the best concept of what it was we wanted to do with this project, it was hard to put into words. Reading this book allowed us to figure out how to put into words what is well done with this project and why it's valuable. Concepts from this book that now will be able to be discussed when explaining this project to newcomers. 

03.12  Phase 3 Summary and Reflection