An integrated farm for the University of Georgia Costa Rica campus

Abstract

The University of Georgia has committed to the creation of a sustainable facility for its Costa Rica Campus. A major part of their strategy is the development of an integrated farm. This thesis proposes a design solution which answers the following question: What is the optimal environmentally and culturally sensitive integrated farm system for the UGA Costa Rica Campus? The resultant response is a design that links crop, dairy, poultry and swine production with a biodigestor for waste management, production of fertilizer and creation of methane gas. The system is designed to provide a high level of productivity while eliminating many of the problems that plague other agricultural production systems. An illustrative master plan and narrative specifies the system infrastructure, management strategies and the arrangement of biotic and abiotic components.