The 1st Paradigm:

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The Smart Farm Nexus (Nexus) is a partnership of businesses, communities, and individuals. Beginning with a single smart farm box (or smartbox), each smartbox will start as a hydroponics system that can evolve into an aquaponics system. These smartboxes will be located throughout the Central Valley of California through partnerships. From backyards to low use farms, each smartbox is a self-sustained unit that is part of a bigger system. The system will be set up to produce an excess of food. One of the first foods we will grow is leafy greens. As the system becomes a source of food, starting from a single crop, planning will commence expanding the system to its limits, growing a variety of foods. The aim will be to also grow the crop in a traditional fashion in the ground in as large a plot as is feasible about and near each smartbox. Otherwise, the hydroponic system can be contained inside the box in perpetuity. This will iterate from location to location, indefinitely.

The "Nexus" will also be the starting point of after-school programming to grow young minds by STEM + AG Technology teaching and outreach. Teaching from Step 1. to Step Completion. students will have the opportunity to learn carpentry skills and other skills, for example, hydroponics, electrical wiring, low voltage wiring, solar installation, networking (Cisco Net Academy), Wi-Fi and antenna installation/deploy, cybersecurity, IoT (data acquisition), microcomputers (Raspberry Pi), microprocessors (Arduino), programming (data science), robotics, rapid prototyping, to name a few, the list goes on. The nexus is the realization and implementation of sustainability and green technology. Through technology, instill and strengthen the desire to learn to reverse the effects of human activity on earth. The nexus is an amalgamation of ideas and technology for growing young minds for job-readiness in the new economy of globalization.

For the human race. Grow food anywhere on earth (or in the universe).

This project will run many learning outcomes in tandem (and will focus heavily on out-of-school time programming). There will also be a concerted effort to recruit UC Merced students for mentoring and tutoring the duration of this project. This project will also invite UC Merced graduate students to do outreach for strengthening their developing skill set (credentials).

All-hands discussions are expected at least once weekly (This can include supervising and visiting teachers).

Tech+Equation, Inc.

P. O. Box 2331

Merced, CA