Urban Farmer - Grow to Launch

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Lloyd Duhon

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

4

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

Complete the build out of the solution by migrating to full sidechain architecture, complete the educational videos, & deploy the bounty system.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No Dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

Our project source code will be provided to the DAO that will operate the functioning sidechain. The DAO will determine the source code licensing upon formation.

[METADATA] SDG rating

SDG Goals

2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

SDG Subgoals

2.1 - By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

2.1.1 - Prevalence of undernourishment

2.1.2 - Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

Originally funded in Fund 8: https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/8/f8-dapps-and-integrations/urban-farmer-dapp

We propose completing the remaining work to build a live and functional dApp that is an MVP (Minimum viable product) that resides on a sidechain where data is stored, yet all financial transactions that are needed occur on the Cardano mainnet.

SideChain Launch:

This part of the project proposes to develop a set of Terraform scripts that will launch all of the necessary tooling and assets to launch our sidechain built with Cosmos Nodes, with selectable consensus mechanisms and parameters. 

The project will also adapt the current IOHK released side chain smart contract to be able to launch on PreProd and/or MainNet according to the configuration of the above Terraform Scripts and link Cardano <> sidechain.

This will benefit the Cardano Ecosystem in many ways:

Node Software: The proposed Terraform scripts and the discovery tool for Cardano Stake Pool Operators will significantly streamline and enhance the processes involved in operating and managing sidechain nodes on the Cardano network. We reduce the technical barriers and complexities typically associated with these tasks by making launching sidechains and managing validator nodes easier and more efficient. The proposed Terraform scripts and the discovery tool facilitate a smoother operational workflow for node operators and encourage greater participation within the Cardano network.

Scalability Solutions: Introducing selectable sidechains contributes directly to the scalability of the Cardano network. By processing transactions on sidechains, the main Cardano chain can handle a larger volume of transactions without compromising its speed or performance. This increased scalability is critical to ensuring that Cardano can continue to grow and accommodate an expanding user base, thereby enhancing its utility and attractiveness as a blockchain solution.

Technical Standards: The development of the Terraform scripts, coupled with the adaptation of the IOHK-released sidechain smart contract, introduces new methodologies and technical standards to the Cardano ecosystem. These standards guide future projects and initiatives, ensuring consistency and quality in the development efforts within the Cardano community.

Blockchain Interoperability: Our project promotes interoperability between blockchains by creating sidechains that can be built on either the Cardano Node or Cosmos Node. This interoperability allows developers and businesses to integrate and interact with various blockchain platforms easily, thus enhancing the overall utility of Cardano. This level of interoperability can help Cardano achieve broader adoption and acceptance, which in turn can help to grow and enrich the Cardano ecosystem.

Our project addresses critical challenges and contributes numerous benefits to the Cardano ecosystem. Our solution bolsters Cardano's robustness and growth potential by increasing scalability, promoting interoperability, and establishing new technical standards.

The goals of this project phase are to:

• Provide a simple and easy-to-use way to launch our sidechain on Cardano
• Increase the interoperability of Cardano with other blockchains
• Make it easier for developers to build dApps that can run on both Cardano and other blockchains
• Promote the adoption of Cardano by businesses and organizations

Education Series:

This project also proposes to create a series of educational videos that teach all of the processes involved in the growing of microgreens, herbs, and baby lettuces in indoor hydroponic farm settings. The videos will be published into the Urban Farmer dApp on the Cardano Blockchain.

The growing demand for fresh, local produce is creating a need for more sustainable and efficient ways to grow food. Indoor hydroponic farming is one such method that is gaining popularity due to its ability to produce high yields in a small space, even in urban areas. However, there is a lack of educational resources available on how to set up and manage an indoor hydroponic farm. By adding these educational resources directly into the Urban Farmer dApp, we are steps closer to democratizing access to growing food in new and measurable ways.

This project will create a series of educational videos that will teach viewers everything they need to know about indoor hydroponic farming while utilizing the dApp to monitor and maintain their produce grows, leading to better success and longer term adoption of personal food growing. The videos will cover the technical topics required in hydroponic indoor farming such as:

• Planting techniques for different substrates.
• Specific growing management videos on 15 different plants grown as microgreens, baby plants, or potted herbs.
• Harvesting techniques
• Sanitation techniques
• Storage techniques

The videos will be produced in a clear and concise way that is easy to understand for both beginners and experienced farmers. They will be published into the Urban Farmer dApp on the Cardano Blockchain, which will make them accessible to a global audience.

This project will create a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning about indoor hydroponic farming. The videos will be informative, engaging, and accessible to a global audience. The project will also help to increase awareness of indoor hydroponic farming and its benefits. The Cardano community will benefit from increased adoption of tools on the blockchain.

Democratization of access to food builds resilience against climate change, and teaching techniques that can work in small indoor spaces will help to build that resilience.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.

1. Increased scalability and throughput for Cardano
2. Improved security and privacy for Cardano users
3. Increased flexibility and customization for Cardano dApp developers
4. Enhanced interoperability with other blockchains
5. Increased adoption of Cardano by businesses and organizations
6. Increased awareness of indoor hydroponic farming techniques
7. Improved access to educational resources
8. Increased productivity of small indoor hydroponic farms
9. Reduced environmental impact of food production
10. Increased blockchain activity on the Cardano blockchain

We will measure our impact by users who take up our tools. Transaction volume of our tooling will show impact.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

The team members are developers and network engineers with extensive real world expertise in deploying and maintaining scalable solutions. We have delivered the Urban Farmer dApp Proof of Concept in Fund 8. Our team members also have roles in other companies within the space, including DripDropz, & Adosia. Team members are highly active in the Catalyst community and are fully publicly available. We have strong relationships with the best and brightest within the Cardano ecosystem. We have a proven track record of working with IOG and the community on many projects. We are well suited to bring this project to completion.

[Project Milestones] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Develop the Terraform scripts that will launch the sidechain tooling and assets. This includes:

Creating the Terraform modules that will be used to deploy the tooling and assets

Testing the Terraform scripts to ensure that they work as expected

Studio Setup and Initial Video takes

Purchase 2x BlackMagic Cinema mirrorless camera body and the lenses required for macro, as well as the prime lenses for standard shots.

Purchase the appropriate lighting and baffles

Purchase a lavalier microphone to capture audio of the instructor

Purchase an audio field Recorder

Purchase a time coder

Video the creation of broccoli microgreens start to finish

Adapt the current IOHK released side chain smart contract to be able to launch on Preprod or MainNet according to the configuration of the above Terraform Scripts and link mainnet <> sidechain. This includes:

Making the necessary changes to the smart contract code

Testing the smart contract to ensure that it works as expected

Community feedback on initial videos

Provide videos to existing farmers

Provide videos to non farmers

Collect feedback for improvements

Recreate Broccoli Microgreen video with feedback, and adapt script for remaining videos

Deploy the sidechain tooling and assets to Preprod. This includes:

Configuring the Terraform scripts to deploy the tooling and assets to production

Testing the tooling and assets in preprod to ensure that they work as expected

Produce videos for 5 planting types.

Place videos on YouTube and within the dApp CMS

Deploy the sidechain tooling and assets to mainnet. This includes:

Configuring the Terraform scripts to deploy the tooling and assets to production

Testing the tooling and assets in mainnet to ensure that they work as expected

Produce videos for 4 planting types.

Place videos on YouTube and within the dApp CMS

Provide an Explainer video which shows the Urban Farmer dApp launched to Mainnet in MVP form, with Sidechain active and educational material inserted.

Provide a Closeout Report.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Melannie Duhon CEO: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melannie-duhon

Extensive retail management experience. Entrepreneurship degree with Agribusiness minor from FGCU. Owner/Operator of Living Greens Urban Farm

Eric Montgomery Senior Programmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric996/

Full stack developer with over 25 years of experience building business applications at institutional levels.

Lloyd Duhon Systems Architect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloyd-duhon

30+ Year IT veteran, CTO experience. Cardano Plutus Pioneer 2nd Cohort. COO DripDropz, Adosia.

Paul Spata Senior Programmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fortifygroup/

Full stack developer with over 30 years of experience building business applications.

MelloD Designs Media Team: Camera, Audio, and Production work from Tyler, Mason, & Olivia.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

This budget represents a whole team effort that pays a Project Manager, a Producer/Editor, 2 Programmers, a Farm technician, a sound engineer, and a video camera person. The budget for staff is set at 63,333 ADA per month for a 4 month timeline. This is $19,000 USD @ $0.30 ADA price.

We have an equipment budget of $12,000 USD or 40,000 ADA in addition.

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The proposed budget for this project delivers excellent value considering the scope of work and the potential impact on the Cardano ecosystem.

The sidechain development work is critical for increasing Cardano's scalability and interoperability. The cost estimate for this technical work is very reasonable given the complexity involved.

The educational video production budget is cost-effective considering that high quality, professionally produced videos will be created. These videos will provide immense value to new and existing farmers looking to adopt indoor hydroponic techniques.

In summary, each budget item ties directly to core project deliverables that offer tangible benefits. The total request amount maximizes community impact while keeping costs controlled through an efficient execution plan. This optimization of value drives ecosystem growth - the very purpose that Project Catalyst aims to serve.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agrees to Fund Rules and also that data in the submission form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept