Capital Campaign

Closed-Loop Phase 1: Water + Energy Resilience

The named opening phase of the closed-loop campaign: the water and energy loops that keep 450+ animals alive when fire or drought arrives.

$0 pledged of $150,000 goal

Closed-Loop Phase 1: Water + Energy Resilience

Water comes from rain, reclamation, and the well — not the well alone. Power is built to degrade gracefully when any single input is cut. A system optimized for a perfect day fails on a bad one; this phase builds the one that holds on a bad one.

In a place where fire, drought, and price shocks are not hypotheticals, preparedness is the optimization. Phase 1 funds the reserve, catchment, generation, and effluent loops that make the sanctuary's water and power resilient before the next emergency tests them.

How it fits together

Each project below feeds the others — closing loops on water, energy, feed, and care so the sanctuary leans less on the outside world over time.

1

5,000-gallon water tank plumb-in

Water

Plumb in an on-hand 5,000-gal reserve tank so a failed well pump does not leave 450+ animals without water. Provides 8–10 days of supply — time to pull and replace the pump. Tank in hand; licensed-well estimate exists.

The reserve that buys days of water for 450+ animals through a well-pump failure — the first layer of water resilience.

water

Funding goal: $15,000

Read the full plan
2

Rain harvest catchment — 30×40 hay shed

Water

Rain catchment off the existing 1,200 sq ft hay shed roof feeds storage tanks for irrigation and animal trough supply. Reduces well-pump load and protects aquifer in a well-dependent backcountry community.

Rain off the existing hay-shed roof into storage — water from the sky, easing the well and the aquifer.

water

Funding goal: $40,000

3

Power center: solar + wind + batteries

Energy

Solar + wind + battery storage to back the well pump through frequent backcountry outages, run grow lights and fodder climate control, and offset SDG&E rates. Designed for the hottest day and coldest night.

Solar, wind, and battery storage that back the well pump and climate control through outages — energy that does not depend on the grid alone.

energywaterfood

Funding goal: $60,000

4

Biodigester + effluent loop

Energy

Anaerobic biodigester converts animal manure into biogas (dual-fuel generator behind propane), liquid fertilizer (walipini crop feed), and water exudate (feeds duckweed for purification). Central node in the closed-loop architecture.

Manure to biogas, fertilizer, and reclaimed water — the loop that turns waste into power and closes the water cycle.

energylandwaterfood

Funding goal: $35,000

Help build this

Capital gifts move these projects from blueprint to reality. To discuss supporting Closed-Loop Phase 1: Water + Energy Resilience — or to give now — start here.

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Steampunk Farms Rescue Barn is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. See The Fine Print for our full financial disclosures.