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ManyArks · Pocket guide

The Apartment Door

No yard. No shed. Maybe a landlord. You can still close a few loops — windowsill food, kitchen scraps to soil, and a mesh node that does not need a tower.

Grace first. You do not need a plan for an Ark. You need one practical system you can start this week.

Many Arks are built on acreage.

These rigs do not make a full Ark. They are the honest first three moves when land is not available. When you have a yard later, Grow and Tend open wider.

How to use this pack

  1. Print these pages (black-and-white is fine). Staple or fold; keep them where you pay bills or cook.
  2. Pick one rig. Work its Sequence in order. Do not start three at once.
  3. Cores are what you need. One alternate is listed only when it helps you start cheaper or with what you have.
  4. Steps are shortened for paper. When a step is unclear, open the full page online if you can.
  5. This pack does not replace unemployment help, food banks, or medical care. It is the layer you control.
  6. For the full offline catalog of every Domain and Rig, use a Pressing (USB / print Vault) — not this pocket pack.

1 The Window Farm

The simplest possible indoor food-growing system.

Footprint: Window-mounted · Cost: entry · First benefit: ~21 days

The canonical first rig — jars, light from the window, herbs in weeks. Printable Sequence fits one sheet.

Manifest — First Jar (cores; one alt max)

Container
Quart mason jar (32 oz) with standard lid ~$2
Alt: Opaque 32 oz food container (~$3)
Net pot + medium
2" net pot + hydroton clay pebbles (small bag) ~$3
Alt: Yogurt or cottage-cheese cup with holes + rinsed gravel/perlite you already have ($0)
Nutrients
MaxiGro dry nutrient (single-part) ~$8 / 1 lb
Alt: Dilute liquid houseplant food already on hand (¼ strength) — or plain water for the first cutting while roots form ($0)
Seeds or cuttings
Basil seeds (packet) or a fresh basil cutting from the grocery store ~$2
Alt: Grocery-store herb cuttings (basil, mint, or similar) ($0–few dollars for the bunch)
pH (optional at this scale)
None — tap water left out 24 hrs to off-gas chlorine $0
Alt: pH test drops + pH Down (~$8)
Mounting
Existing windowsill $0

Sequence

  1. 01Check your light5 minStand at your window at noon on a sunny day.
  2. 02Prep the jars10 minBlock light on mason jars: wrap with aluminum foil tape, a dark sock, or paint the outside with acrylic paint.
  3. 03Cut the lids15 minUsing a 2" hole saw, spade bit, or sharp knife, cut a hole centered in each mason jar lid.
  4. 04Mix nutrients5 minFill each jar with water (tap water left out 24 hrs, or filtered).
  5. 05Check pH (Path B)5 minDip pH test strip or add drops per kit instructions.
  6. 06Plant5 minFrom seed: place 2–3 seeds into a damp rockwool cube or into the hydroton in the net pot, just below the surface.
  7. 07Assemble2 minPlace net pot into lid.
  8. 08Place and wait1 minSet jars on windowsill or mount suction-cup shelves and place jars.
  9. 09First harvestongoingHerbs: once the plant has 3–4 sets of true leaves, begin harvesting by cutting the top growth just above a leaf node.
  10. 10Replant and rotate10 min / jarWhen a jar's nutrient water is exhausted (typically 4–8 weeks for herbs, 6–10 weeks for lettuce), dump the old water, rinse the jar and net pot, mix fresh nutrients, and start a…

Full page: manyarks.earth/hub/grow/window-farm

2 The Worm Bank

Vermicomposting system converting kitchen scraps and paper into worm castings — one of the highest-quality soil amendments available.

Footprint: 2ft x 3ft x 1.5ft · Cost: entry · First benefit: ~30 days

Kitchen scraps become castings indoors; closes the waste loop without a compost pile outside.

Manifest (cores; one alt max)

Bin
Stacking tray worm bin ~$50
Alt: Two nested 10-gal Rubbermaid totes (~$12)
Worms
Red wigglers (Eisenia fetida), 1 lb ~$30
Alt: European nightcrawlers (~$35)
Bedding
Shredded cardboard + coco coir ~$10

Sequence

  1. 01Prepare bin15 minSet up bin.
  2. 02Add bedding10 min4–6" deep moistened bedding.
  3. 03Add worms5 minIntroduce colony.
  4. 04Begin feeding5 minFruit/veg scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells.
  5. 05MaintainongoingFeed 1–2x/week.

Full page: manyarks.earth/hub/loop/worm-bank

3 The Whisper Node

A single-household entry point onto an encrypted, off-grid Meshtastic mesh network.

Footprint: Palm-sized · Cost: entry · First benefit: ~1 day

Household mesh entry — encrypted off-grid text when the tower fails or the bill is late. Fits a sill.

Manifest — First Signal (cores; one alt max)

Board
XIAO ESP32-S3 & Wio-SX1262 Kit ~$10
Antenna
Included 2dBi LoRa stub (U.FL) incl.
Alt: 5.8dBi fiberglass omni + pigtail (~$42)
Power
USB-C from any phone charger ~$0–8
Display
None — phone app only $0
Alt: XIAO Expansion Board (~$15)

Sequence

  1. 01Flash firmware3 minOpen Meshtastic web flasher in Chrome.
  2. 02Pair to phone2 minInstall Meshtastic app.
  3. 03Configure channel2 minSet region (US 915MHz).
  4. 04Connect antenna1 minAttach LoRa antenna to U.FL connector.
  5. 05Power and test5 minPlug in or connect battery.

Full page: manyarks.earth/hub/signal/whisper-node

Full pages & the Vault

When you have a connection, the complete Manifest, Sequence, Echo, and Feeds live here:

  • The Window Farm — manyarks.earth/hub/grow/window-farm
  • The Worm Bank — manyarks.earth/hub/loop/worm-bank
  • The Whisper Node — manyarks.earth/hub/signal/whisper-node

Door: manyarks.earth/hub/doors/apartment

A Pressing is the durable offline catalog — every published rig as boring HTML you can carry on a USB stick. Pocket packs are Door-scale only. Pressings: manyarks.earth/press

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