Aquaponics in Action - USA Urban Inroads

[Sahib Punjabi]

Hello fellow Aquaponic Gardners,
I am always interested in reading about the acceptance and use of aquaponics as part of our normal daily life. Here are two new stories that I read recently that I would like to share. Should you have such articles, I would love to read/see them :-)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/hells-kitchen-school-to-build-roof...

 

[Sahib Punjabi]

The New Agtivist: Gene Fredericks is thinking inside the city’s big box

http://www.grist.org/article/food-the-new-agtivist-gene-fredericks-...

[Sahib Punjabi]

Another project in the right direction...possibly posted a story on this person earlier, this one with a different twist...

Good marketing :-)

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fish-farm-20100911,0,5891150....

[Sahib Punjabi]

College students getting exposure to Aquaponics...nice :-)

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources/lifestyle_commun...

[Sahib Punjabi]

Agropolis

Recently read this article and as it fits into my view of one of the areas I would like to see Aquaponics expand to, I am sharing it with you :-)


"The Grand Challenge
Food subjugates the earth. There is 38% of the world’s surface devoted to agriculture, and crops consume 87% of water used globally. The poorest people do not combat just starvation but obesity due to widespread malnutrition. Food miles and bacterial contamination dominate the news. The public has become suspicious and fearful of commercial agriculture, causing organic food and local food movements to be created. As global warming looms, threatening to decrease photosynthesis globally and reduce total arable land, it appears many of these problems are only going to multiply.
We have a different vision of the future. We believe in a world that uses 90% less water, 80% less space, and 100% less pesticides to grow the world’s food. A world where your food is not transported a single mile to get to you.
We believe in Agropolis."


http://www.justmeans.com/Agropolis-Future-of-Urban-Agriculture/3077...

http://agropolisfarm.com/?page_id=41

[Sahib Punjabi]

Vertical Farm Concept : green gateway for Chicago

http://inhabitat.com/2010/09/16/vertical-farm-concept-is-a-green-ga...

[Sahib Punjabi]

Another good news story regarding Aquaponics :-)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/sep/17/backyard-aquaponics-shows...

[Two Jay]

I showed this, and many other links of notable AP systems to a few Aquaculture PhD's at 2 different universities , they are not convinced it (AP) will work. They do not believe AP to be a viable economic source of income for large or small businesses and the AP system would need acres, yes acres, more filtration for the fish and the plants would need further input than just fish waste to see substantial growth.

I was a bit frustrated and enthused at the same time.... frustrated they didn't see the big picture and enthused to know they are wrong. Ok, done ranting... have a good morning. ( :

[Two Jay]

I like this guy, he speaks my language, never seen this video. Thanks for sharing Sahib.

Sahib Punjabi said:

Another good news story regarding Aquaponics :-)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/sep/17/backyard-aquaponics-shows...

[Sahib Punjabi]

Hi Two Jay,

Thanks for sharing the results of your discussions with the Aquaculture PhD's at 2 different universities as well as their conclusions. I too often meet such responses from those in the Academic world. Yes you have the occasional Academic or Futuristic dreamer who write about Urban Sky-scrapers as being the next best thing to sliced bread ...just see the WSJ News Headline "The Farm of the Future: Harvesting the Sky - Will tomorrow's cities grow their own food? A proposal to conduct agriculture in skyscrapers" based on the new book "The Vertical Farm" by Dickson Despommier, a professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703989304575504071389...

Unfortunately I believe that must be smoking something or be so far removed from reality that they just cannot think like the "Common Man". Actually could it be that their Chairs / Departments are being lobbied / bribed (Ophs! I meant sponsored ha,ha,ha...let's be politically correct), by "Big Business" who want barriers to entry and control of the very basic essential human need...Food ? By either dismissing Aquaponics as being unable "to be a viable economic source of income for large or small businesses and the AP system would need acres, yes acres, more filtration for the fish and the plants would need further input than just fish waste to see substantial growth", or by promoting such bogus future huge Urban "Vertical Farm "developments, they really are missing the point that Aquaponics is a way of life that can assist "Millions" of people to produce food "Locally" by means that use significantly less resources, leave a smaller "Carbon footprint" and be able to eat healthier. Hey! If people around the world did that, who would buy all their Big farm produce, the fertilizers, the pesticides, the herbicides and so on...man! that would mean significantly less $'s and control. No cannot have that!

So what is all the big fuss about the huge Urban "Vertical Farm" developments? Do they not realize that the cost of such projects would be huge, not something the "Common Man" can do. Further, where they suggest these "New" projects would be prime real estate, not like the run down and unoccupied warehouses in urban derelict downtown that Growing Power or similar organizations are using. The machinery proposed in such projects, while being a delight to look at and appreciate, is also so expensive that it creates an immediate barrier to entry (unless you won the "Power-Ball Lottery"), just see two projects:

http://www.valcent.net/s/HDVGS.asp?ReportID=264273

http://www.convertedorganics.com/

Being surrounded by Academia or Huge Big Business Interests does not lead to practical daily life decisions...they are to "unimportance", sorry "Micro" for these Macro brains. One of the questions I recently asked some students applying for a Generation OM Scholarship was based on Anup Shah’s article Poverty Around The World (Global Issues – Dec 7th 2009)

“World Bank figures for world poverty reveal a higher number of people live in poverty than previously thought. For example, the new poverty line is defined as living on the equivalent of $1.25 a day. With that measure based on latest data available (2005), 1.4 billion people live on or below that line. Furthermore, almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day and at least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.

( http://www.generationom.com/apply.php)
AQ systems are in my humble opinion one solution to helping a significant percentage of the worlds population to grow their food locally, without any pesticides or herbicides and eliminate hunger and keep their dignity and pride. We have to teach ourselves to not only think locally but also consider others around the world. To that extent we should do waht we can to promote these wonderful systems, yes be "open source", with no strings attached. I love what Morningstar Fishermen's Mission Statement but only want to remove the "religion" aspect...we have too much else to share so let's just say "God Bless".

In short, we need to remember that " what the British economist E.F.Schumacher wrote in his collection of essays : "Small Is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered" .

God bless,


Two Jay said:

I showed this, and many other links of notable AP systems to a few Aquaculture PhD's at 2 different universities , they are not convinced it (AP) will work. They do not believe AP to be a viable economic source of income for large or small businesses and the AP system would need acres, yes acres, more filtration for the fish and the plants would need further input than just fish waste to see substantial growth.

I was a bit frustrated and enthused at the same time.... frustrated they didn't see the big picture and enthused to know they are wrong. Ok, done ranting... have a good morning. ( :

[Two Jay]

Sahib, My background for the last 20 years has been in architecture... I am offended you don't think a giant skyscraper, made of massive amounts of metal and glass, using enormous amounts of energy, would work. The whole part of the last sentence is a joke, the first part is true. It's not really feasible, it doesn't make sense with the few brain cells I have left, but I would not doubt that you will see one going up within the next 10 years or so. There is a lot of silly, I do mean silly, grant money going around out there.

My family is jumping both feet into this adventure;' local, organic, family owned & operated demonstration farm, for profit, because I grew sick of the architectural world.

After we get things moving along here, on the farm, we are moving parts of the operation into the big city.

It has always been our intention to show all those around us, who want to learn, about how to grow their own food. Sure there are easier, less costly ways of getting food on the table but our family chose Aquaponics as our main focus with the remainder of the farm being various types of dirt / animal farming. These trials and tribulations and success, we believe, are what will teach us to help feed the hungry, the poor, the food deserts, the ignorant, etc... all the while taking it "to the man". There are vacant lots, vacant parking lots, big and small backyards, etc that can all be filled with enough food to feed the hungry in America without building giant showpiece architectural wonders.

I am ranting again, off my soap box, God Bless. 2J

[Sahib Punjabi]

Thank you Sweet Water Organics for spreading "Commercial Awareness" of Aquaponics ..."All of the sudden, aquaponics is going big. Really big, and bringing new hope for the future of large scale organic agriculture in the process"

My humble request...please, please keep it local and remember is "Small is Beautiful" Please...-)

http://www.justmeans.com/Industrial-Organic-Aquaponics-Like-Industr...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/business/energy-environment/28iht...

Photo published in NYT by Jeff Redmon
Sweet Water Organics, an aquaponics company in Milwaukee, raises perch and leafy green vegetables.
By GENEVIEVE ROBERTS
Published: September 27, 2010

[David Hart]

Great article. I'm glad the fellow made a success of it.
I did notice when they mentioned a school project....they said the tilapia and the plants would be in the same tank(s). Too bad...I see lots of plants with no roots :-( Unless they protect them some how.





Sahib Punjabi said:

Another good news story regarding Aquaponics :-)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/sep/17/backyard-aquaponics-shows...