This month we had a distinguished visitor. Wieger Wamelink from WUR came to visit to further explore how Natural Soil Improvement and WUR could work together when it comes to producing food on Mars. It was especially important for WUR that they looked for a partner with knowledge of mycorrhiza and a location for research. Of course including the Brickz as an interesting product for the colonization of the Red Planet.Because it was of course more than a joke when Tom Bade stated that if we are going to colonize Mars, it would be best to first shoot a few loads of Brickz full of seeds and mycorrhiza to the Red Planet. In that case the beans and tomatoes will be ready when we arrive .

The visit was no coincidence from another perspective either. The phytorefinery as a concept naturally has many components that a greenhouse on Mars would also have: fully enclosed, circular, low-energy. Actually a closed system, but where waste products are broken down. And that has everything to do with the concept of the circular greenhouse that Tom Bade devised for LTO Glaskracht and which has been elaborated in the book ‘Forward Mars’ written by him. And although the parties have known each other for a long time, it has been decided that this time we will collaborate concretely in the field of research. We will start with joint tests and work on a joint research program.

One of these days we will also appear in the paper Nieuwe Oogst with an article about our project ABBA (Amaryllissen, Brickz, Trees and Waste Production). Furthermore NSI will also feature in VNO NCW’s Green Growers program next month about the new phytorefinery in Arnhem that we are developing. We have been invited there by Schut Papier, who see us as an important partner for the production of tree-free cellulose that will take place there.

In the meantime, we are also busy with very earthly matters, such as producing Brickz, selling trees and compiling the book ‘Outside is simply better’ about the economic health benefits of National Parks. And at night we are writing a project proposal for a subsidy scheme on behalf of one of our good relations. That is not our core business, but good writing and substantive knowledge are of course not a bad basis for coming up with good concepts and applying for the subsidy as a result.