A greenhouse kit, a Wisconsin farm, and the world's youngest dome salesman
Fifty-seven years later, I remain fascinated by the unique design, science and style of geodesic domes. When I learned that Wayfair sold a kit for a geodesic dome greenhouse, I asked Stacia and Spencer if they would let me put one up out in the fields of their farm in Dresser, Wisconsin.
They liked the idea, and with the help of Spencer and Keane, we built a wooden base just past the apple trees and put together a simple six-foot geodesic dome at the far side of their farm. My idea was to camp out overnight from time to time and stargaze under the dark Wisconsin skies, far from city lights and MSP air traffic.
A few months after we set up the dome, we went back out and were disappointed to see that the clear plastic covering was turning an ugly shade of yellow. But that didn't stop Keane from making a video presentation in which he explained how we built the dome and thanked his construction associates!
Even with the yellowing cover, Stacia and Spencer took an incredible photo of a beautiful night near the dome in Dresser.
I contacted Wayfair about the yellow discoloration. You might expect that from cheap plastic left out in the bright summer sun, but this kit was advertised as a greenhouse or an outdoor gathering place for friends and family. Sun was the whole point.
I couldn't return it, and they couldn't just replace the cover, so they sent me a complete new kit, which I set up in our Eagan backyard, where it sits today! The Dresser dome made it through one more summer before it fell apart. Fun while it lasted, though.
The replacement, Eagan
More than fifty years after that first Whole Earth Catalog, I'm still building domes.
