Search our million dollar ideas

← Million Dollar Ideas

Grow more food with less water

Enable Oregon farmers to increase crop yields with less water, especially where water allotments limit crop production, as in the Klamath River basin. Provide Oregon farmers with a unique starch-based biodegradable soil amendment, developed from 30+ years of research by the USDA and later private industry here in Oregon. Zeba™ granules offer a way to grow more with less water. When added to the soil around the root of a plant, Zeba granules store 500 times their mass in water, and then release it to the plant during dry periods, over and over for a year or more, stretching scarce water resources, while it degrades feeding the microorganisms in the soil
The key organizations are aligned to demonstrate viability: Abundance Farming, an Oregon non-profit provides this unique water harvesting technology to smallholder farmers internationally and is offering this product and our technical support to the Klamath Water Users Association, an Oregon nonprofit who would provide it to the farmers in their region. The developer and manufacturer of Zeba, Absorbent Technologies Inc, also an Oregon company, supports this program and would provide the product and technical advice.
Fresh water is ~3% of all water on Earth, most of this is ice and only 1% is available to be shared. Of this liquid 1%, most is used for agriculture. Any effort to conserve water must address this critical use, by supporting farmers to grow more food with less water. Our current and future food security depends on supporting farmers to grow more food. Competing uses for limited water require new solutions for food production and this is a unique one.
This is an ideal model for funding and technology from the Portland area, providing direct support to rural Oregon farmers, while benefiting all of Oregon.
Abundance Farming Project impact: Growing Food, Conserving Water, Stabilizing Economies. www.abundancefarming.org

1 vote
Vote
Sign in
Check!
(thinking…)
Reset
or sign in with
  • facebook
  • google
    Password icon
    Forgot password?
    Create a password
    I agree to the terms of service
    Signed in as (Sign out)
    Close
    Close
    You have left! (?) (thinking…)
    Paul OsterlundPaul Osterlund shared this idea  ·   ·  Flag idea as inappropriate…  ·  Admin →

    1 comment

    Sign in
    Check!
    (thinking…)
    Reset
    or sign in with
    • facebook
    • google
      Password icon
      Forgot password?
      Create a password
      I agree to the terms of service
      Signed in as (Sign out)
      Close
      Close
      Submitting...
      • Paul OsterlundPaul Osterlund commented  ·   ·  Flag as inappropriate

        A quick calculation shows using Zeba, with 12% less water than typical to grow POTATOES, WE WOULD SAVE 78,203 GALLONS PER ACRE -- with Zeba that costs ~ $60 and produces yields comparable to full water regime.
        For wheat, using Zeba and 12% less water we would save 61,911 GALLONS PER ACRE (based on 24" per season for potato and 19" per season for wheat, typical in the Klamath River Basin)

      Million Dollar Ideas: Environment

      Feedback and Knowledge Base

      (thinking…)

      Guidelines for Posting Ideas

      Oregon was once known as a place where new, creative thinking flourished and people weren’t afraid to face hard truths and take bold steps. But lately Oregon conversations are full of pessimism and cynicism. We all know Oregon is in a world of hurt. We’ve grown accustomed to hearing what’s wrong here.

      Meyer Memorial Trust wants to help change the tone of the conversations and jumpstart action that again makes our state a place where ideas begin and grow. But we need your help. Tell us what you think is the most pressing issue facing Oregon that an investment of up to $1 million from MMT could provide meaningful support and leverage over the next two years. Give us your best ideas about the form that support and leverage might take.

      This is not a time for faint hearted suggestions. We're looking for bold and innovative approaches. And while the nonprofit sector is proving itself to be resilient, innovative and inspired in these times, we need to move beyond categorical thinking and invite all sectors to work together to address the issues we face before it's too late. This is not the place for an organization to make a pitch for funds on its own behalf. We’re looking for ideas that rise above individual organizations and constituencies.

      Asking for public input in this kind of forum is new for us. Frankly, we don’t quite know what to expect. But we have faith that Oregonians will take this process seriously and contribute their best thinking. We believe Oregonians are ready to reengage and stay engaged and work together to find solutions. But awarding the million dollars depends on the quality of ideas—if we don’t have sufficient participation or we don’t find a good match with MMT’s mission and values, we reserve the right to find another route to helping create a better future for Oregon.

      We are confident Oregonians won’t let us down. We expect lively—but civil—discussions. We desire innovative, entrepreneurial ideas…the kind Fred Meyer might have had.

      Thank you for jumpstarting a better future for Oregon by submitting your million dollar idea below and/or commenting on ideas already suggested.