What would you define as Essential Reading

[Shane]

As a novice to AP and with about 2 years to go to early retirement and a serious desire to live as much off the grid as possible, AP has caught my attention in a serious way as a means to an end to self-sustainable farming. My problem is that there is an overabundance of information on the web, as well as on this site as to the dos and don’ts of starting up AP systems. Its hard sifting through the quagmire of info, not knowing who is actually posting worthwhile info and who is posting info (on the web) as a means to an end in order to sell you garbage that either doesn’t work or works way less efficiently/effectively than something else out there.

2 weeks into reading what’s out there has brought me to the conclusion that unless I plan on spending the next 2 years reading everything I can, and taking what’s repeated continuously to be the gospel in AP, that I am in need of advice. No, my intent is not to repeat the many times repeated questions that are already on the forums that by now many of the older members have gotten sick of answering (and ironically this might just be one of those questions) My intent is asking just 1 simple question, what single book, pdf or any other written document has been the single most important book for you in your AP endeavours? (Ask 100 people and expect 99 different answers? No worries, it should take less time to read through the 99 different books than it would to sift through the bull on the web)

So far in 3 days I have started on page 1 of the “Start Here” forum and got to page 21 of the “Basic and Useful Info” topic with another 100+ odd pages to go just on that topic, not to mention every other topic and group discussion that there is going. This far, I have found lot of useful info, a lot of useless info (due to geographical location) and a lot less spam than I was expecting (which is always nice) and intend on finishing what is on the forums, but due to not having access to the web at work and having 3-5 hrs a day there that could be spent ‘studying’, could you please throw me a lifeline as to what book you found most valuable or what author/s you would give as essential reading.

 

Thanks in advance

Sean

[George]

I really doubt it because Florida spring water comes out at 72 degrees.

Jeff S said:

I've heard that ground temp everywhere is around 55 at 6-8 feet. 

[Jeff S]

That makes sense. But if the spring runs just below the surface for a ways before it comes out that would raise the exiting temperature possibly. I'm no scientist but several videos I've watched say the temp is consistent below the surface.

[FormulaX]

Research journal article publications.  You aren't an aquaponic-er unless you've read all of Dr. Rakocy's research publications.  Studies, editorials, snapshots of companies, reddit forums (/r/raquaponics),  hydroponic books, aquaculture books, aquarium books.

[George]

So long as my system is producing, it doesn't matter what you call me

Sean said:

You aren't an aquaponic-er unless you've read all of Dr. Rakocy's research publications.