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Comment by Chris George on January 29, 2012 at 6:09pm

It was a great tour again today!!  Got some additional questions answered, Mark is such a great guy!  Sheri, the raised beds down by the sump tank are just soil beds, about 1' tall, 4x8ish.  They are following the french intensive technique, watering from the sump tank, they have a hose bib off it right at normal plumbing level.  I asked about the mineral bed (rock box), and brought up that our water is already like liquid rock, but he reminded me that a lot of it is mineral 'salts', and salt is, of course, our enemy.  I like the rock bed, it's more of a water-bed with trays of various rocks, shells, etc., and flows like a slow stream.  My water is City of Scottsdale, one of the water treatment plants is just up the street, I'll have to see if they have a tour and do some research on my own.  Glad your breeding efforts are paying off, sounds like you've got it all sorted out.  I won't be ready for fry/fingerlings until later in February, sounds like you will still have plenty then.  Did you put the pictures of your breeders online?  If so, where?, would be interesting to see them. 

Comment by Sheri Schmeckpeper on January 28, 2012 at 8:46pm

It sounds like they've been busy since we were there. They had the mineral bed, but you make a good point about the need for it. I thought it was a clever idea if there are specific minerals missing from the water being used. We're doing fine with SRP.

They didn't have any tanks in the greenhouse-everything was under the shade canopy. I What media are they using in the raised beds, do you know? Maybe we'll catch the tour next month. 

We have fry; lots of 'em; and another breeding in the works with a new female.

We took pictures of the genitalia of all our breeders...OK, that sounds really weird. But there's only one good picture of mature tilapia out on the web that I've found, and it doesn't look like our fish, so we did our own. I'll try to get them posted tomorrow.

Comment by Chris George on January 28, 2012 at 7:07pm

Sorry you won't be attending the tour, always good to see you Sheri!!  I'd love to get some fry from you mid-late February (or thereabouts) if you have some available.  At Rhiba Farms I think their current sump arrangement is fairly new (or at least improved upon) and they added a mineral bed that they flow the water through to pick up some minerals they found they were deficient in, it's all working great now.  The mineral bed is cool, but I have to wonder if they weren't using that big RO system they probably wouldn't need it.  They've put in some raised beds too that they will be watering out of the sump tank.  They set up big IBC breeding tanks in the greenhouse, maybe that's always been there though.  And, they've created a retail (home patio) setup that is super pricey $3000, but constructed out of materials that will withstand our summer sunshine.  The grow bed is egg shaped, so a little odd looking, uses a bell siphon, and has an exterior pump. 

Comment by Sheri Schmeckpeper on January 28, 2012 at 10:10am

Sorry about the chicken diversion!

I won't be going on the tour tomorrow. We went a number of months back and it was very interesting, though. If I recall, they talked about changing the sump system, or that they would have done it differently if they were doing it now. I don't remember exactly what was said, though.

They do things that are far and above what most home systems can or need to do, but they have more at stake, so I understand why. Let us know what you learn!

Comment by Chris George on January 28, 2012 at 8:54am

Hoping to see some of you at the Rhiba Farms tour tomorrow (Sunday @ 10am).  Not sure how the post headed off to 'all about chickens'...;-).  I have 12 chickens of my own so that is only a side interest of mine.  What I liked about the tour at Rhiba Farms was all of the detail on water testing and water quality.  Loved seeing their monster Tilapia (many at 5 lbs.) feed, it was a hoot!  Want to learn more about their de-gas system and I really like that they gravity feed their grow bed down into a sump.  I think if they weren't using RO water they wouldn't have need for their re-mineralization bed, I'm going to ask Mark more about that tomorrow.  And, though I have read a lot about structured water (vortexed) and it's 'living energy', I don't have the funds to set it up at this time.  I like their new retail setup, very pricey at 3K per unit, but I suppose some people with means will be able to afford it  The more the merrier in my opinion.  Sheri are you going to go to the tour tomorrow?? 

Comment by David Schwinghamer on January 27, 2012 at 4:56pm

I need fish food soon so does anyone out there want to go in on a big bag?

Comment by Holly Curtis on January 27, 2012 at 3:40pm

I think they dock you during molting season...too funny since they don't know who lays the eggs. I should rent a chicken to the neighbors.  Their kids could come visit and pet said chicken and feed it....

Comment by Sheri Schmeckpeper on January 27, 2012 at 3:18pm

Did it say you get two dozen? For some reason I thought it was one dozen, but I skimmed through it, so I'm sure you're right. That's easier to swallow. Superstition Farm charges $5 and can't meet the demand. What I understand is they have substitute chickens who fill in for the rent-a-chicken during molting season. Actually, they have no idea who lays what egg anyway. :)

Comment by Holly Curtis on January 27, 2012 at 3:08pm

I think it is $6 a dozen...still high.  $3 per week fee for 6 eggs...barring molting season though. Did I miss something in my calculation?

Comment by Sheri Schmeckpeper on January 27, 2012 at 3:04pm

Holy moly! That's $12/dozen! I need to up my prices!

I imagine worms would go for the rabbit pellets. I hadn't thought of that. We put some worms in our grow bed about a month ago and forgot about them. I pulled some lettuce the other day & found a worm & some eggs. Yay!

We have a bunch of other worms in a bucket in our kitchen to eat kitchen scraps.

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