With rising food costs, security issues and more all around the globe, more communities and individuals are starting to think about growing their own food. As it stands, simple solutions sometimes seem too far off. What about pests, water use limits, winters that are too cold and without enough light and summers that can be too hot and dry? How do we tackle these challenges? How do we grow a garden in our own home state or near our homes that can support the community? In this episode, you're going to learn why design decisions matter and how an engineering background and a balance-oriented mindset can help. To talk this through, we are joined by inventor Marc Plinke, who spent the past decades applying his engineering mindset and expertise to building better greenhouses. Marc started Ceres Greenhouse Solutions to help enable people to grow their own food sustainably all year round. Tune in to learn more about his work!

About Guest:

Marc Plinke is an inventor-innovator who started his career as a chemical and process engineer at the makers of Gore-Tex, a fabric you've all used in rain jackets. When he landed in Boulder, Colorado, he retrofitted his family's 1960s ranch house into a Beyond Net Zero Energy home. That experience led him to his second career in green building design. He spent the past decades applying his engineering mindset and expertise to building better greenhouses. Mark started Ceres Greenhouse Solutions with the intention of enabling people to grow their own food sustainably and year-round. His passion is his family, beliefs and leaving the world a better place for his kids and all of ours.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcplinke/

Website: https://ceresgs.com/

Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/CeresGreenhouses/

Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/CeresGreenhouses

YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/@CeresGreenhouseSolutions

Additional Resources Mentioned:

How Regenerative Farming Can Lead To Healthier Living With Mollie Engelhart – Past Episode

Minisode: Introducing Paul Hawken + Regeneration – Past Episode

Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation

Part 1: On Building A Global Place Brand And Regionalized Food System With Steven Cornwell – Past Episode

Plant-Based Recipe Superfoods Superlife Supplements Women Reach For Your Superlife: Why You Should Count Plants Not Calories With Kristel De Groot – Nutrition Without Compromise Podcast Episode

Show Notes: (mixed raw audio)

00:00:15 How Marc built a Beyond Net Zero Energy home.

00:05:09 Helping people produce their own food.

00:17:40 Perfecting a good greenhouse design.

00:27:43 Greenhouses and traditional farming.

00:33:00 Pushing for hyperlocality.

00:41:00 Greenhouses and the pest problem.

00:53:13 Food and society.

01:00:54 A holistic approach.

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