Hollis Armstrong's Posts - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-28T16:04:23ZHollis Armstronghttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/HollisArmstronghttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2797025195?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=1rmvn3dunws3n&xn_auth=noCommercial Bugtag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2015-03-01:4778851:BlogPost:5984102015-03-01T03:15:16.000ZHollis Armstronghttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/HollisArmstrong
<p>Thought I would update my status. I have the AP bug really bad. I have been consumed by AP since the first time I looked at a system online. I got excited and started immediately looking at a way to create an AP system in my yard. Well the more I read and the more I got excited the bigger the picture got. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Now Im looking at purchasing 73 acres on the edge of Bankhead Nation Forest in the southern half of Lawrence County Alabama. It is completely surrounded by NF (National…</p>
<p>Thought I would update my status. I have the AP bug really bad. I have been consumed by AP since the first time I looked at a system online. I got excited and started immediately looking at a way to create an AP system in my yard. Well the more I read and the more I got excited the bigger the picture got. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Now Im looking at purchasing 73 acres on the edge of Bankhead Nation Forest in the southern half of Lawrence County Alabama. It is completely surrounded by NF (National Forest) land and the closest neighbor is 1.5 miles away as the crow flies and the next nearest is 3 miles. </p>
<p></p>
<p>My idea is to build 4 each 90x120 greenhouses with a covered room on both ends 90x30 for the fish, sump, and packing area. At current configuration that would give me 5664 sq ft of media beds and 3396 ft of pipe beds per house. I can easily change media beds to raft beds and plan to do that for some of the houses. That also means I will have 4500 fish in each house in 24000 gallon fish tank. I plan to have 24 ea 1000 gal tanks with approximately 190 fish in each one.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I may scale my plans down to 2 each greenhouses if this configuration stays true. It will be determined when I complete my marketing research to see what the demand will be from my customers. Of course I plan to start the fish out in steps so I dont have 4500 fish ready for market at once and crash the system once I take them out. I will try to stagger them so I have about 650 a month with Tilapia and about 350 a month if I go with catfish. Which ones I go with will be determined by market demand. I will determine by market demand if I will process the fish or sell whole.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I also plan to start an orchard. I know this will take a while before it start to pays dividends but I have always wanted one and with 73 acres to play with and plan out why not. I will plant apple, peach, cherry, pear, Fig, Japanese Persimmon, Pomegranates, Kumquat, PawPaw, Passion Fruit, Pineapple, Almond, Chestnut, Hazelnut, Macadamia, Pecan, and Walnut trees. Also will have Muscadine, Scuppernongs, and blackberries growing.</p>
<p></p>
<p>We will raise some fattening hogs for slaughter, a few cows for beef, a milk cow or two, free range chickens, laying hens, a few goats and maybe even a few sheep. Of course there will be a pond for the livestock.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I think two hired help to start with will be enough but within 3 years I hope to have things figured out enough to see profit and by year 5 to expand to more greenhouses and hire more help. I have about 20 good years left in me so I hope to have everything running smooth and have expanded to the max before turning it all over to my sons and daughter to run for their futures. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Anyway thats the plan.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>Just Starting My Planningtag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2015-01-28:4778851:BlogPost:5947102015-01-28T03:25:48.000ZHollis Armstronghttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/HollisArmstrong
<p>I just ran across aquaponics yesterday and Im as excited as a kid in a candy store with a $100 gift card. I can seem to absorb all the information quick enough because my mind is spinning with ideas of how I can create an aquaponics system that will work best for my family and accommodations (I live in a small town). </p>
<p></p>
<p>I am diabetic and desire to eat healthier than I have in the past. Fish and green leafy veggies are at the top of my list. Zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers,…</p>
<p>I just ran across aquaponics yesterday and Im as excited as a kid in a candy store with a $100 gift card. I can seem to absorb all the information quick enough because my mind is spinning with ideas of how I can create an aquaponics system that will work best for my family and accommodations (I live in a small town). </p>
<p></p>
<p>I am diabetic and desire to eat healthier than I have in the past. Fish and green leafy veggies are at the top of my list. Zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, various peppers, radishes, onions, and tomatoes being the staples I have always planted. Last year I had to reduce down to just tomatoes because I had a project (trailer mounted twin 500 gal tank smokers) that took up most of my gardening space. Yesterday I saw an article for the most nutritional foods available and saw that water cress is #1. I had never heard of it so I started doing research and found it grows ell in 36: of water or in marsh. So I started to think of a koi pond to grow it in and one thing lead to another and I ran across aquaponics and now I am hooked. </p>
<p></p>
<p>I would like to dig a deep but small hole in the side yard to make a fish pond/waterfall. I need this to be decorative so it will be accepted by neighbors and city officials. I would like to create a maze of planted beds that can serve the purpose of growing my veggies yet not look like a junk yard at the same time. This is where I need the most help. I have been looking at different systems and like the floating beds but since it will be outdoors I dont think this would be best. You tell me? I think media beds would work well but dont know how to build them so it looks good in my side yard that will be exposed to the thru traffic and neighbors. I wwill give measurements later to help figure out what size fish pond and how many beds will need to be built.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Im excited to start this journey and look forward to learning, making new friends, and creating a viable working aquaponics system.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I am also interested in building a system for an orphanage in Honduras that our local church helps to support. They have little to no money and depend on handouts and donations for survival. If we could help them to be self sufficient it would be a tremendous blessing. Any adivice or help there would be awesome.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Thank you</p>
<p></p>
<p>Hollis </p>