674: Liz and Lem Tingley on Geodesic Greenhouses of Growing Spaces.

Bringing a 365-days-a-year local food solution to everyone.

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This week we have a very special series of five daily episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast sharing the work of Growing Spaces, a company whose vision is to provide year-round growing solutions for your own food, no matter the weather.  We start the week by hearing from the founders of the company, then we have three episodes from people just like you that are using Growing Domes to grow food for their community, and we wrap up the week hearing the vision of the new owners.  We really encourage you to listen to this incredible content, then check out their website at GrowingSpaces.com/urbanfarm.

In This Podcast:

In the last of five episodes, we hear from Liz and Lem Tingley, whose passion for health and sustainability led them to Growing Spaces.  They fill us in on how they came to be the new owners of the business, the amazing impact their geodesic Growing Domes are having on the communities where they are installed, and the sense of personal fulfillment they have experienced in running the business.  Their excitement is contagious as they also describe their hopes and plans for the future of the Growing Domes and Growing Spaces.

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Our Guests:

Lem Tingley graduated from Colorado University Boulder in Mechanical Engineering and has been working for Colorado based manufacturing companies for the last 25 years focusing on his core values which revolve around efficiency, superior quality, exemplary customer experience, and conscious business practices.  Liz Tingley graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and worked in the healthcare industry for over 27 years.  She joined the Growing Spaces team full time in January of 2021 taking on Marketing, Sales, and Human Resources responsibilities.  In April 2018 they acquired Growing Spaces, a Colorado-based manufacturing company making innovative and environmentally friendly products. They were excited to promote sustainable and healthy lifestyles through the manufacturing and installation of the Growing Dome greenhouses which can thrive in any part of the world so that anyone can grow their own local food 365 days a year.

Editor’s Note:

This is the last episode of a 5 part series.  Listen to part 4 HERE.

Listen in and learn about:

• • Watching the decline of manufacturing in the US, then getting laid off
  • Searching for a business alternative to the saturated solar market
  • Feeling the energy inside the dome
  • Deciding to buy the company
  • Describing the peaceful environment inside the dome
  • Heating in the winter, cooling in the summertime
  • “Climate batteries”
  • Benefits of geodesic domes over traditional greenhouses
  • Becoming more involved in food equity and local farming
  • Getting back to the basics of gardening and having control of your food
  • Bringing community gardens back to disadvantaged neighborhoods with a grant program
  • Planning to add more options to optimize the dome to any environment
  • Maximizing use of materials, minimizing waste
  • Growing inside the dome in very hot climates
  • Living spaces inside the dome
  • Dome sizes – 6 sizes from 15’ up to 42’ in diameter
  • Building the dome
  • Top reasons to buy a dome
  • Carrying the torch