How to start

[Lorraine Smith]

I live in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico, but I bought 4 lots = almost 1 acre in an agricultural area with 3 wells can anyone give me advice on how much space i will need to start out really small? 

[Dave Lindstedt]

Hi Lorraine: I also am located in Hudson, FL, off Denton Rd, behind the ball field.  I started back in 2011, with an 8ft x 8ft deck and a 10 x 20 portable car port. I built a 3 x 4 x 3 high  330 gal tank and bought 100 gal. stock watering tank and built 4   4 x 8 flood & drain grow troths, each hold 156 plants .  My sump is a 30 gallon garbage can dug into the ground, fitted with a sump pump and garden hose to return the water to the fish tanks..

Since then I have added a 26 x 42 hoop house with a 6 x 20 deck  with 4 275 gal tanks and now have 12 more grow troths.  I am shooting for a commercial operation.  Biggest current problem is a constant reliable marketing source.

Material cost was about $135.00 per grow troth.  Car port was purchased for $200.00 at K-mart

[Vickie Smith]

How many plants do you want to grow.  We have vertical towers to grow 30 - 36 plants in a square foot of space.  We sell kits from 1 tower to 40 x 32' footprint with shelter, 6 fish tanks (500 fish each) and 20 growing towers over each tank.  This could produce a lot of plants.  Scalable, you just have to decide how much food you want to grow :)

We also sell small wind packages to power the operation ( off or on grid)

Are you wanting a ready set go package, or something you can build for yourself?

[Rick]

Hey Lorraine;

I live in Bradenton. It appears that you have more than enough room for a system.  Mine is 4 IBC totes hooked up to a 7x11 grow bed.  The first 4 feet are gravel, the rest rafts. I also have 4 of the IBC tote tops as beds. Not a lot of space needed .