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Nebraska retiree uses earths's heat to grow oranges in snow

Kirsten Dirksen · documentary · Watch on YouTube

Environment, agriculture & food systemsPower grid, heating & buildingsHome, DIY & practical skills

What it is

Kirsten Dirksen visits retired mailman Russ Finch in Alliance, Nebraska, who grows oranges, figs and pomegranates in a backyard greenhouse without paying for heat. The greenhouse uses the stable temperature of the earth, with underground earth tubes, to heat and cool itself.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN commenters bring it up in geothermal, greenhouse and vertical farming threads as a low-tech example of growing citrus in a cold climate.

  • 4 people recommended it
  • 4 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2019, last 2026

What HN commenters said

  1. “One of my favorite Kirsten Dirksen videos”

    Russ Finch grows citrus in Nebraska using geothermal energy.

    johnohara, 2019-06 · Recommendation · in “Swedish Couple Builds Greenhouse Around Home”

  2. “Check out this guy, he grows oranges in Nebraska in thermal heated greenhouses.”

    Oranges in Nebraska with underground tubes for heating and cooling.

    mythrwy, 2021-10 · Recommendation · in “Geothermal's path to relevance: cheap drilling”

  3. “Really interesting story/concept and I'm hoping to replicate on a small scale”

    Sunken greenhouse growing citrus in Nebraska snow, heated and cooled geothermally.

    kingsloi, 2023-01 · Recommendation · in “Sunken Greenhouse”

  4. “Almost all the videos on this channel are fascinating btw.”

    Citrus grown in Nebraska using trenches, from a fascinating channel.

    culi, 2026-07 · Recommendation · in “Forestiere Underground Gardens”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: geothermal, earth tubes, greenhouse, citrus, passive heating, backyard farming

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