The Love Tunnel

Love Farm Wilds LLC
Love Farm Cooperative LLC
Love Farm Events LLC
3730 Highland Drive
Beulah, Michigan
Dan Kelly 231 882-0460
friends@love.farm
www.love.farm

Withdrawal

Love Farm is a wilds resonant farm, meaning we are guided by the innate intelligence of nature. Our team started researching and building The Love Tunnel proposal, but when we discovered that extracted material is contaminated with toxic lubricant foam, we chose to withdraw. We urge the Boring Company to find or develop a biodegradable substitute for the current lubricating foam. We might have suggestions. Ultimately, leaving all extracted material on site is not only much cheaper, but the material can be useful for other projects, as it would have been for The Love Tunnel. We assume this is a planned future upgrade.

Please review this proposal's Summary and Vision sections, as our concept might offer new opportunities for The Boring Company. We're also engaged in an Elon adjacent project we'd love share with him. Call or email.

Preface and Greetings

Hello Elon, Boring Company engineers, and Mile Tunnel Evaluation Team,

The Love Tunnel may be the most out of the box, whacky proposal for Prufrock, but we're confident our project is also the most vital, healthy and delicious tunnel application the Boring Company is likely to receive.

Summary

The Love Tunnel supports regional farms to provide Michigan's northwest lower peninsula with year round access to locally grown nutrient dense food, by instantiating a low energy, minimal impact storage facility constructed by the Boring Company.

Vision

Unlike our amazing new robot friends, people need to eat. Unfortunately food quality has not been improved by the upscaling of agricultural production. The use of selective breading for longer shelf life, gmos, petroleum based fertilizers and pesticides may make sense from a profit perspective, but nutrient density, visual appeal and taste have all declined. Ask anyone who grows their own vegetables, fruits, nuts, and grains, or who shops at local farmers markets or are members of a CSA (community supported agriculture). They'll opine that locally grown, mindfully cultivated, permaculture and wilds resonant food is... the best.

Local farmers can grow lots of food, but long term storage is a problem. Back in the day, root cellars, basically underground storage, were common on small farms. At the frost line, 4-6 feet below grade, the temperature is between 45-48 degrees, year round.

Optimal storage temperatures vary depending on the type of produce, but many fall within that range, specifically,

• Pumpkins (winter squash) — 50–55°F, 50–70% RH Storage time: 2–3 months
• Potatoes — 38–40°F, 85–90% RH Storage time: 2–3 months
• Squash (summer) — 41–50°F, 95% RH Storage time: 1–2 weeks
• Tomatoes — 55–60°F, 85–90% RH Storage time: 1–3 weeks
• Beans (green/snap) — 45–50°F, 85–90% RH Storage time: 7–10 days

Other produce varieties grown in Michigan require colder temperatures, some even close to freezing. In the summer, lowering temperatures an additional 10-12°F is easier than lowering 40°F or more, down from ambient surface temperatures of between 70-80°F. Raising temperatures in the winter is also easier. We envision The Love Tunnel being partitioned into unique zones of specific temperature and humidity that can accommodate different varieties of produce.

Design

The Love Tunnel is continuous .75 mile radius hoop, 40 feet below grade with two 120' long surface access points. This design corresponds with Prufrock's turning radius and ascent descent angles, as provided by Grok and confirmed via phone with [proposa withdrawn. Two versions are contemplated depending on which of two potential locations are most appropriate for the staging of Prufrock.

The Love Tunnel is partitioned into discrete temperature and humidity zones optimized for specific types and varieties of produce. There is also be a meat curing zone. The 12 foot width of the tunnel will be split between storage shelving along one wall (~3') and a transit path for wider electric utility carts (~9'). These dimensions are flexible. Hanging plastic buffers will allow the free passage of carts while keeping climatic conditions stable. Alternately, storage areas are isolated from the tunnel proper and have their own climate control. 110 and 220 electric outlets are located every 20 feet. Propane is utilized for both heating and cooling, with possible solar backup. If climate controlled zones are implemented, a separate ventilation duct, may be required, running the entire length of the tunnel, or vertical shafts drilled down and penetrating the sides of the tunnel depending on engineering

Locations

West Love Farm Wilds LLC 3767 Highland Drive Beulah, MI 49617
East Love Farm Wilds LLC 3090 Cooper Road Beulah, MI 49617

Operation

The Love Tunnel would be run as a cooperative, with Love Farm Wilds owning the surface land and The Love Tunnel, and renting the Love Tunnel to TLT, either an S corp or 501c3, managed by an elected board of member farmers. Annual dues would cover some of the operational and maintenance costs, with possible financial assistance from the USDA and MDARD.

Costs

• climate controlled zones and storage
• heat/cooling
• ventilation conduit
• climate controlled storage
• electric service
• electric carts x 4
• external pole barn for cart storage maintenance and utilities
• grading, compaction
• environmental consultation aquifer, water table impact
• engineering consultation
• legal support - environmental, zoning, contracts between Love Farm and Boring company.
• bribes
• snacks

Zoning

Love Farm has two potential locations for The Love Tunnel. The west farm is residential but grandfathered in as agricultural. In Michigan, agricultural construction does not require permitting, though a project of this scope would certainly require interaction with local agencies. The East Farm is Residential / Agriculture, so a little leeway would be expected for this project.

Water Table

There are two water wells on the west farm and one on the east. At the tops of the ridge on both properties, the average depth of wells is 250 feet. This corresponds with wild springs that emerge at lower elevations. The possibility of penetrating the water table at 40 feet below surface is unlikely.