Regenerative Agriculture funded through Renewable Energy

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Daniel Sullivan

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

Individual

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

12

[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)

100% of raised funds will go to farmers transitioning to regenerative practices. We will also help our community install solar, and 100% of proceeds generated will be used to replenish the farm fund.

[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?

Yes

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

100% of our educational models will be perpetually open and free to use.

100% of the proceeds for our solar installations will go to replenish the regenerative agriculture fund.

100% of all costs, expenses, fees, and fund transfers associated with both the regenerative agriculture fund, as well as the renewable energy business will be publicly available.

[METADATA] Horizons

Sustainability

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

There are two solutions, one is complex and the other is simpler. The complex solution has to do holistic regenerative agriculture, and the other is for renewable energy.

The primary problem that farmers have with switching to regenerative agriculture models is a lack of education. The secondary issue, or rather set of issues, are site specific circumstances. The implementation of these models are variable across climate zones, topography, access to capital, labor markets, produce markets, etc. What is necessary to bridge this gap is a generalized regenerative agriculture practitioner working in tandem with the farmer who knows their site specific circumstances.

To summarize the regenerative models a practitioner must know, there are three basic models:

• Adaptive multi-paddock rotational grazing
• No-till market garden annuals
• Polyculture perennial food forests

The other challenge is being able to seamlessly integrate these three separate models within one property. Depending on the property, it's not always possible, but each one of these models is complex in and of themselves, so the consulting practitioner must be available to these farmers for the long term. Also the integration is dependent upon where the farm currently sits in its "succession", as well as how holistic they realistically can achieve with the site specific circumstances. A one acre farm will mostly only be able to do the no-till market garden annuals, with potentially some egg laying hens in a deep litter based chicken run to provide fertility for the annuals.

The simpler solution has to do with renewable energy. In the United States we can install residential solar in almost any location, at a steep discount of the cost for what normal quotes are posted for. We will set a fixed cost above install costs which will cover expenses, and 100% of proceeds beyond that will be donated to the regenerative agriculture fund.

The solar industry in the USA works on a "PPW" system, or price per watt. People are being charged $3.15-$5.00 PPW for a solar system (depending on the state), so an average 10kW would cost $31,500-$50,000 (depending on the state) (not including interest if paid with a loan). We are able to install that same system for $21,500-$28,000 (depending on the state). California will charge up to $5.00 PPW, and we can install at roughly $2.80 PPW. In a cheap state, it would be the $3.15 to $2.15 spread.

We will use 100% of the funds raised from Catalyst to help farmers transition to regenerative practices, whether that would require livestock, education, or equipment, and we will use the community awareness we gather to help people in the USA to transition to solar at the best possible rates, and use 100% of net proceeds generated to continue to replenish the farm fund.

We get to proverbially kill "two (ecological) birds with one stone". Except, birds are good for biodiversity so no birds will be harmed in the making of this proposal!

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

Not only will we be able to directly assist Cardano community members in the community with potential struggles with transitioning to regenerative farming practices, we also will be able to help the Cardano community members switch to renewable energy sources at the absolute best possible rates, which will in turn perpetuate regenerative agriculture practices.

[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 only two things that this project requires is a regenerative agriculture consultant, and a renewable energy liaison. I am both.

I have been researching and implementing regenerative agriculture practices for 6 years now, and if there is something I don't know, I know how to find out.

I have also been an energy broker for the last 4 years, and if there's something I can't personally do, I know how to find the best person to do it.

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

35,000 ada

Working directly with the first farmer to integrate regenerative practices, or with a first homeowner who is switching to solar.

Plans for property development and project deployment. For an agriculture project this would look like a property map, with a 18-36 month timeline plan for project implementation. For a solar project, this would look like a roofing map designed and proposal submission to begin site surveys.

35,000 ada

Working directly with a second farmer to integrate regenerative practices, or with a second homeowner who is switching to solar.

Plans for property development and project deployment. For an agriculture project this would look like a property map, with a 18-36 month timeline plan for project implementation. For a solar project, this would look like a roofing map designed and proposal submission to begin site surveys.

35,000 ada

Working directly with a third farmer to integrate regenerative practices, or with a third homeowner who is switching to solar.

Plans for property development and project deployment. For an agriculture project this would look like a property map, with a 18-36 month timeline plan for project implementation. For a solar project, this would look like a roofing map designed and proposal submission to begin site surveys.

45,000 ada

Working directly with a fourth farmer to integrate regenerative practices, or with a fourth homeowner who is switching to solar.

Plans for property development and project deployment. For an agriculture project this would look like a property map, with a 18-36 month timeline plan for project implementation. For a solar project, this would look like a roofing map designed and proposal submission to begin site surveys.

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

Daniel Sullivan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-sullivan-6379a4b2/

• Agriculture Consultant
• Energy Liaison

In the future we will be adding more consultants and liaisons as necessary, here is a summarized list of the different skillsets necessary for each.

Agriculture Consultant:

• Familiarity and experience working with any of the three models
• Ability to proactively communicate with farmers and project participants
• Emphasis and focus on transparency
• A mindset that works towards building easily duplicatable systems

Energy Liaison:

• At least 3 years of residential solar experience
• Direct connections with at least one solar installer
• Familiarity with system design software
• Willingness to participate in a financially transparent system of accountability

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

The only "expenses" we will have are the funds that we will be donating to help farmers switch to regenerative practices. The difficulty with laying out a specific budget or cost structure for this is that for each agricultural candidate they will have different needs and costs associated with those needs.

I selected the milestones that I did so that we could have a relative buffer to be able to integrate the basic precepts of regenerative agriculture for farmers in different situations. To get started with rotational grazing you're looking at roughly $2,000 USD in terms of polybraid wire, or premier one netting, as well as a solar charger. This isn't including the livestock.

We will keep all expenses, all purchases, and the project implementation timelines transparent with our community, not only in regards to communication with catalyst, but also in terms of posting on X, and on discord.

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

One thing that Cardano ecosystem has attempted to do, is to integrate itself into countries where people struggle to have a secured identity as well as banking access. In order to build reputation with the governments of these countries, we will also have to work on grass-roots movements to work with their citizens, to help uplift them and provide them opportunity.

It also allows for an opportunity to integrate these people into the Cardano ecosystem, to transact within it, as well as allocate resources to the system or to use it as a store of funds.

Not only will we help onboard people in countries across the globe through our grass-roots movement, but we will also connect them to opportunities in more prosperous countries creating a bridge between nations. Not just governments to governments, but people to people. This will help the Cardano community not only flourish economically by leveraging a financial network that connects the world, but by also helping lift people up and give them opportunities they didn't otherwise have.