Space1 Feeding Martians on Mars

One of 200 underground LED-driven growth pods like this one, could supply fresh vegetable food to a small colony on Mars. The Boring Company by Elon Musk could make adjoining underground tunnels for the food centers. Initially, transport supply rockets could supplement a diet ration of freeze dried lightweight food packets sent from the Earth as a starter kit until the greenhouses are up and running and in full production. Mars needs infrastructure and robots can help set up the initial needs and later do maintenance work, especially the type of work that occurs on the Martian surface in full radiation. Robots, droids, machines, and bots can supplement humans to do work and provide a net AI gain to an initial low numbers population. Left - above ground, thick domes let through martian sunlight, or underground artificial light. One idea is to put radiation absorbing domes and habitats inside the domes, out on the Martian surface.

Space1 Feeding Hungry Martians on Mars Soil
Colonists on the first trips to Mars will take light weight freeze-dried food packets to be reconstituted with recycled water

Eating prepared food packets transported from the Earth will be the norm until larger greeneries can be established to supply food.

Power cells to provide light in the greenhouse is prefered to solar cells on the Martian surface due to long lasting dust storms that can obliterate the solar view up to years in length. When the season turns from winter to summer, the polar caps thaw and weather instability causes storms. At least one Mars rover met the grim reaper when its battery could not be solar cell recharged during a Mars dust storm. Greenhouses will initially likely be underground due to radiation on the Martian surface.

Food has a shelf life and dry food can last the longest - most freeze dried foods that you buy are sealed under nitrogen in resilient packaging, allowing for anywhere from a two to twenty-five year shelf life. Freeze dried fruits are on the lower end of the shelf life spectrum, lasting a little over two years. Mars has an approximately 2-year cycle in going from closest to closest distance to the Earth, known as a favorable opposition. A food factory could include the use of chickens for fresh eggs but chickens must be fed food and water too. The amount of food required to feed a small colony depends on the number of people in the colony, the unit time on Mars, and their caloric consumption. Harvesting crops in cycles requires the staggered planting of a food variety and rather large greenhouse centers. Hydroponics and other indoor farming methods will be in use. Farming may use existing Martian soil, probably treated to provide the necessary mission elements for healthy crop growth.