Zip Grow Towers??

[Suzi Gibson]

Hey Folks! I'm starting to hash out the plans for a hobby system in which space is a bit limited. I saw the zip grow towers and thought they were intriguing. Has anyone tried them? If so, what do you think? And how do you catch the discharge water at the bottom?

[Max Gfx]

That's called marketing and assimilation.

Paul Smith said:

I agree with You Martha...
Nate's videos on Youtube are first rate.  I appreciate the fact that Bright Agrotech is so willing to train us all.

Martha Anderson said:

Nate Storey is so knowledgeable about aquaponics. I highly recommend the training videos they produce.

RupertofOZ said:

If you search the forum.... you'll find a complete thread about them... authored by Nate Storey... the bloke that invented them...

[Paul Phillip Meyer]

No, it's called Nate knows his product and his growing methods because that's what he does all day long.

-Paul

Virginia Vegetable Company

VAfarmer.com

[Max Gfx]

And that's exactly what any dedicated marketer of their own over-priced product wants everybody to believe.

[Paul Phillip Meyer]

MAx Gfx,

What you say is true, but what she is buying is system, support team, a product that works. Sure I could build PVC pipes and get medium. I do tons of DIY hydroponics, why I purchased some Zipgrows is because I met Nate and I liked the people. They were professionals compared to other people I've met in the aquaponics world. Who care's if it's overpriced. What ISN'T in the aquaponics fad. Again, what she is paying for is a product that definitely works and a team she can talk to as a beginning farmer. I know personally a farmer I met at a conference LAST year that purchased a Nelson & Pade system $100k. Now he's out of business. I'm not and partly because Nate talked me through a lot of things I didn't have a clue about. I bought Bright Agrotech - not zipgrow towers.

[Max Gfx]

Sounds to me like that marketing and assimilation worked...Cognitive dissonance always guarantees me responses exactly like this when I point out how well their marketing method works.

[Michael Welber]

I compared building my own towers with PVC pipes but discovered that they would be too heavy for the supports I have and really not much less costly than the Zip Grow Towers. I bought it after seeing the video from the Aquaponics Fest. And, yeah, it was effective marketing. 

[Max Gfx]

Thanks for proving my point...By the way, did they happen to disclose any of the disadvantages (aka: design flaws) of those towers, or did they only tell you all of the wonderful things (in their, I'm sure, totally unbiased opinion)?

[Michael Welber]

Actually it was a pretty straightforward presentation describing how to use the towers and didn't push theirs much until near the end (as I remember it). The whole set of presentations were sales presentations but also helpful. I started raising BSF larvae after seeing one (but didn't buy their expensive Pod). The worm presentation was very good too but have my own worm bin. 

I imagine that was the only way to get these people to deliver their presentations. I agree with you that a lot of AP stuff on the market is too expensive but a non-DIY guy like me ends up buying some of them. 

[Paul Smith]

Max, Max,
No one is stopping You from going out and designing Your own system and spending Your $$ on it.  If You have the skills and desire to do so, please do so.  Please don't begrudge someone from going the commercial route.  Bright Agrotech have their reputation on the line and any body who doesn't ask for references before spending big bucks ought to have their head examined.  Bright Agrotech also has spend a very large chunck of their own capitol developing the system.  And Bright Agrotech is also a practicing commercial growing operation where You can see year after year where they are staying in business.

And no I haven't been to Bright Agrotech's facility nor do I work for Bright Agrotech.  I know by the quality of their information that they are legit.  Besides, they are open for questions.

I have designed built several different systems.  Some I have built in Haiti, where we didn't have the resources to buy a ready-made system and I was interested in showing my sisters and brothers how they could build a system from scratch so it would be more sustainable.

[Max Gfx]

Cognitive dissonance sure does bring out the best in people, ZipGrow and Bright Agrotech are on their way to being a popular religion in the aquaponics scene. Again, I still pose the same question..did they happen to disclose any of the disadvantages (aka: design flaws) of those towers, or did they only tell you all of the wonderful things (in their, I'm sure, totally unbiased opinion)? After all, the person who started this thread wanted opinions. Why lambast me for having an opposite opinion? I know...Cognitive dissonance.

[Max Gfx]

I know that if I was selling my own product, I guaran-damn-tee that I wouldn't post a single video or blog page pointing out any problems, I'd only post videos and blogs of positive, positive, positive things. That's called marketing, and good marketing results in assimilation.

[Paul Smith]

Max,
I will be waiting on You soon to be released expose.