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Comment by Yaacov Levi on July 12, 2017 at 7:14am

Something I havent seen mentioned is getting organic certified, not hard, and almost doubles your prices on everything. I m looking into it, I am in northern MI and have two locally owned groceries I will contact. Both have organic sections for produce. Right now am looking at chard, kale and cukes. This is a fun thing for me and if it looks like too much time for too little I will stick with a couple family households and add another item or two.

Comment by Don Cole on January 15, 2016 at 12:21pm

I know I am new to this group and it sounds like a lot to ask but here goes. Has anyone done any kind of marketing "study" on small scale AP to determine average cost of production for various singular or mixed crops? I would be interested in compiling the information by region or geographic location. It would have to include demographic information among other varibles. If anyone is interested in this type of information maybe we can use this group in a colaborative effort to help identify methods, costs and, crops to move AP into atleast a self sustaining hobby and maybe beyond from a cost perspective. I dont mind compiling the info. I would need input as to ALL of the varibles that affect cost. This info could be used for crop selection to possibly help in forming Co-ops of AP growers in areas to help support our members and educate the public on what we do and the benefits of AP.

Comment by TCLynx on December 16, 2013 at 11:13am

So Dave, does that $200 for the year at least cover expenses of selling like the 15% commission and the mileage or gas for going to/from the market on a weekly basis?

Comment by Dave Lindstedt on December 10, 2013 at 2:21pm

Two and a half years into this venture and I have grossed about $200 for this year.  I do have the good fortune to be a member of a grower's "co-op".  I list my produce with them on Sunday night. I get my orders for the week on Thursday at noon. And I deliver the products Saturday morning at "The Market".  The market takes 15% commission for this service. The market is affiliated with a local chapter of Habitat For Humanity and has a rather large "organic garden" on site.  All items sold are organicly grown.

As I am located in western central  FL, summer sun and heat are major obsticals to successful growing.

Comment by TCLynx on May 28, 2013 at 5:11am

Yea, funny how aquaponics seems so easy when just doing it as a backyard hobby but as soon as you income is riding on it everything gets so much more complicated.

Comment by Dave Lindstedt on May 27, 2013 at 8:40pm

I am trying to grow 4 crop cycles per year. One problem has been items that take time but produce little. I currently have over 200 bush beans (green beans) that started to mature 3 weeks ago, but haven't produced a full pound of beans yet. I have cucumbers that started well then started to wilt. I discovered they were heavy feeders.  I have increase the grow area to about 1 sq.ft. per plant and they seem to be doing well.  But that meant moving a lot of other plants. 

I have done well propagating fig plants and dragon fruit plant, which sell very well via our local co-op. I just put in 16 new fig cuttings in the past week.  But to survive the cutting must be in the grow trouths within an hour or two of cutting them.

Comment by TCLynx on May 27, 2013 at 8:06pm

I grow the Kale collards and chard in media beds and they are plant that though they take a fairly long time before I can start harvesting from them, once they are producing, I can continue harvesting leaves from them weekly for months. 

Celery is another one that could do continual harvest.

Lettuce is generally a one time harvest though some people will pick leaves off for salad mix which might give two harvests off the same plant.

Watercress is another good plant for aquaponics at least during cool weather.

Different herbs can be popular but which ones will depend on your market.

Comment by Dave Lindstedt on May 27, 2013 at 7:47pm

Thanks, kale, collards and swiss chard are not common to our household, so I have totally overlooked them.  Certainly worth a try.

Comment by TCLynx on May 27, 2013 at 7:40pm

Kale, collards and swiss chard have actually been some of my best selling crops.  Lettuce grows great but seems to take a lot more work for what it has brought me.

Comment by Dave Lindstedt on May 27, 2013 at 7:16pm

I am located on the Gulf coat of FL, 30 miles north of Clearwater. I have wasted a great deal of time trying to grow tomatoes & peppers, with little to no success. I have great success growing lettuce. I would like to hear from other commercial growers, as to what produce items are making them money

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