“Sun2Soil” - Dissolving Nutri-Membrane (SSDNM) – Version 4.0
Sun2Soil is a light weight, ultra-thin, photo-sensitive and nutrient rich membrane composed of processed organic compost and soil enhancing nutrients. The SSDNM technology creates green jobs as workers are needed to combine and manufacture the collected compost and soil enhancing nutrients into a membrane for use on organic farms and home gardens.
Employment is also planned at a second production stage in the field when the Nutri-Membrane is placed on top of the newly planted field and slowly dissolves naturally with sun and water, helping to keep the moisture levels high underneath the membrane until the seedlings break-through the soil and emerge into the open air.
Some ingredients in the membrane are also directly absorbed by the leaves of the seedlings.
At this stage, the membrane breaks apart from the shoots and falls into surrounding soil, releasing the remaining life nutrients from the Sun2Soil membrane. SSDNM works naturally with any crop.
After the last fall harvest, the accumulated organic compost is ground and mixed with locally produced microbes to produce the pre-membrane material. After cooking down into a semi-moist consistency, seeds are added and the membrane is then molded by recycled metal roofing panels into 40 foot x 8 inch x 1 in strips and then allowed to hardened, then rolled for transport.
A variety of seeds and food plants are possible. Potential sources for seeds are the farmers market, permaculture guild or the local seed bank.
The Sun2Soil Dissolving Nutri-Membrane technology is especially scaled for 20 family (50 person) neighborhood permaculture grow projects, urban gardeners and family food production that supports community, jobs and Nature. The vision is to achieve a sustainable, closed-loop perm-tech solution. The process is especially geared to assist struggling populations in Africa and has many correlated educational and research upsides.
Sun2Soil is a no-till grow operation. There are no gas-powered tractors to buy and maintain. Hand labor is deployed to make furrows and rows for the seed-laden membranes. Research has shown that microbes can contribute to weed control. Water can be collected and dispersed by using an on-site rain catchment system. There is nothing needed off-site but it is envisioned that growers will barter Sun2Soil for food and goods at their local farmers market or permaculture guild meetings.
Key challenges for seed funding include selecting and sourcing the right nutrients for the membrane recipe and achieving a steady reservoir of on-site organic compost.
Membrane Ingredients (TBD) -
+ Pulverized organic food and garden compost
+ On-site grown and minced organic soil microbes
+ Seeds
+ Water
Organic binder - Binders are liquid or dough-like substances that harden by a chemical or physical process and bind fibers, filler powder and other particles added into it. Organic binders, designed to disintegrate by heat during baking, are used in sintering.
Membrane Recipe (TBD) -
+ Mix, heat then pour liquid membrane into form (recycled 8” metal proofing panels)
+ Add seeds every ~ 4” (TBD)
+ Cool then peel away from form and use or roll-up to store
Membrane Characteristics 1.0 -
+ pliable
+ dissolvable
+ transportable
+ non-sticky
+ rollable
