Aquaponic Gardening

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Midwest Aquaponics

Aquaponic growers in the Midwest (MN, WI, MI, IA, IL, OH, MO, IN) i think that is the midwest

Members: 138
Latest Activity: Feb 17, 2016

Discussion Forum

Midwest viability question

Started by Farrel Stauffer. Last reply by Jeremiah Robinson Apr 30, 2014. 3 Replies

My apologies! I intended to start a discussion but originally sent it as an e-mail.While researching AP I find myself longing for constant sunshine! I am wondering if AP is really sustainable in…Continue

Who lives in Missouri?

Started by Gary P. Last reply by Shelia Hoyt Feb 14, 2014. 13 Replies

I am looking to see if there are any AP people in southern Missouri that are members of this group. I am just getting started, and have questions about our growing weather, how and what kind of…Continue

Cold/dark weather

Started by Dianne Wonder. Last reply by Jeremiah Robinson Nov 7, 2013. 7 Replies

Hi midwesterners!   I'm in Wisconsin looking for ideas to develop a system in our small barn.  I'm afraid the cold and dark of winter will keep us from proceeding year-round.  I noticed that some…Continue

Tags: water, heating, solar, geo-thermal, heat

Advice on Fish Selection for High School

Started by Marc Benedict. Last reply by Jeremiah Robinson Nov 7, 2013. 2 Replies

I am a high school science teacher with a climate-controlled greenhouse and a new Crop King aquaponics system. It has a 200 gal tank, 4'x8' growing bed and is constant flow. I will be tasking a group…Continue

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Comment by Christopher Meunier on April 12, 2013 at 11:27am

we (KP Simply Fresh) sell some local farmers markets. we sell large size heads of lettuce for $3.00 each and tilapia fillets for $13.99 per lbs. we generally bring about 25 heads of lettuce and about 10 lbs of tilapia fillets to each market. by the end of the session we are either sold out or close to it. 

one could argue that we should raise our prices (and perhaps we will to offset higher costs of doing business), but at this time we feel that those are the appropriate prizes for our business.

Comment by Calvin on April 12, 2013 at 10:25am
We are disenchanted with farmers market sales. Farmers end up lowering their prices to compete w one another. We keep our prices high and if people dont buy it restaurants will. We aim for retail organic prices and up.
Comment by Debra Denzer on April 12, 2013 at 9:51am

Hi Chelsea,

I know a group that is selling their product at the local farmers market in WI. They are getting about $3.00 per head of lettuce. I hope that might help you. I know they are not taking cost to produce into the pricing factor yet because the operation, right now, is not financially sustainable. The system is still new and is being tweaked to maximize production in a small space. They have not yet grown in the summer. The lettuce sales are just a beginning to make the public aware of aquaponics...profit, hopefully will come later.

Comment by Chelsea Brannan on April 12, 2013 at 9:21am

 Is anyone selling their produce at farmers markets? How do you price them? Obviously the price should fetch a premium but when comparing to what local market prices are, do you stay the same or just above? I realize that pricing should take into account many of your cost factors, but just looking for suggestions.

Comment by Ken Elrich on February 19, 2013 at 7:05am

Hey all, I am in Michigan and I am considering starting a commercial aquaponics business. I am going to focus on actually producing rather than like most people around here trying to get others like us to pay them to teach aquaponics. I would like to see a Michigan group with maybe actually having like a monthly meetings? any interest in this?

Comment by Keith Rowan on September 27, 2012 at 12:40pm

i see way to many people "chasing" their ph.. but if that's what you're in to, then more power to you..

but.. unless your media is affecting ph, sit on your hands.. it will drop on it's own.. and in all likehood, you'll have to buffer it back up with something like shell grit

 

Comment by DANIEL GRESL on February 7, 2012 at 6:46am
How do you lower the ph, can you use the pol chemicals to lower it.
Checked water temp last night now it is about 60 looks like it gets a little coolin the house
Comment by Earl ward on February 6, 2012 at 4:20pm

PH is to high want to be as close to 7 as possible but lower it slowlt. The mid 60's is also to cold  try to bring temp up to at least the mid 70s I would also air 

Comment by DANIEL GRESL on February 6, 2012 at 10:52am

I just picked up 50- 3-6" tiplapia for both my ibc tanks which I have 150 gallons in each both should support 3 grow beds each of 4x4 , water temps are mid 60's and the tilapia seem not too active, is that too cold.

Also should I be using a air pump? My system has a drain tube that goes to the bottom of the tank with a ventuti to let air in , but I dont know if that is enough, maybe the fish are lacking oxygen, ph is 8.5,

Comment by timothy page on February 6, 2012 at 10:08am

Hello I'm fresh to the group, we live in st,paul. We finished putting up our high tunnel just before new years( crazy minnesota weather). If you're from here you probably no about axman? While there looking for a cork we noticed a huge rubber thing, which turned out to be a 1500 gallon water storage tank and 3 1/4 hp pump from a civil defense emergency mobile hospital from 1964. I said to the brains of this operation I bet we could do fish in that, and she said maybe. After she did some research we learned that it had been lined with neopreme( which is safe for growing fish in) and we're now the owners of. Now I have the great joy of learning aqua ponics/hydroponics and high tunnel growing. I'm looking for suggestions on fish, I'm a urban farmer so I pretty much understand the hydroponics part but may have questions on media use. Thanks for your time and look forward to corresponding with everyone.

 

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