THE NOT SO HUMBLE TOMATO

The first bite of a sweet, succulent, ripe tomato picked fresh from your garden. The warm juice runs down your chin as a delightful explosion of flavour. It awakens dormant tastebuds.

In  a harsh climate, fresh tomatoes can usually be enjoyed for only a few short weeks of the year. Then its back to artificially ripened, flavourless imports your grocer charges a small fortune for. Take heart, you can savour the homegrown tomato experience year round. This and other wonderful tastes that we all long for will be discussed within these Blog issues so to make sure you dont miss any why not join. Like everything on this site, ITS FREE.

And here is a taste...






We are about to harvest the first of our aquaponics tomatoes. I planted them on March 24 and theyve grown nice and plump.




The Fish and Tomato project is most impressive, and so it should be as it is supported by some major industry players. The fish tanks are held inside the greenhouse, below the hanging troughs in which the tomatoes are grown



http://www.cheapgrowlight.com/2010/07/aquaponics-transfering-fingerlings-from-greentank-update-july-2009/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aquaponics-transfering-fingerlings-from-greentank-update-july-2009





This Habanero chilli plant on the right grew a fantastic crop of super hot chillies, and a single tomato plant in a nearby grow bed produced well over 30 kg of tomatoes.By fusing Permaculture and Aquaponics truly sustainable closed loop systems are created that provide

 OK Lets hit a forum....


WARNING - Another forum...


Next issue, other plant varieties and more on the Black Soldier Fly. But for now I wish you well and look forward to seeing you in a coupla dayz...
Ozzie

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Skys Not The Limit For Arduinos In Space

Arduinos In Space could be the tagline for the two microcontroller (MCU) products that are the topic of tonights post -- Ardulab and ArduSat.

Ardulab has been completely open-sourced (from ArduLab)

First off, Ardulab. Although some may find it a skoosh misleading, SpaceRefs July 25 article about an Arduino in space is titled, "Infinity Aerospaces Ardulab Makes Building & Launching Space-Certifiable Hardware As Easy As Baking Cookies." I baked cookies tonight. Oatmeal-raisin cookies. They tasted good. Baking them was more difficult than walking across the street and buying cookies from the North Coast Co-op. But it was much less challenging than building and launching space-certified hardware. On the other hand, baking cookies was also definitely much less rewarding and interesting than launching space hardware.

Ardulab projects are intended to democratize the hardware needed to perform experiments on the International Space Station. According to the SpaceRef article,

"Today Infinity Aerospace announced the complete open-sourcing of Ardulab, the Arduino powered platform for building and launching simple experiments to the International Space Station. Previously costing space researchers, students, and experimenters between $2,000 - $3,500 per kit, anyone can now build and launch an off-the-shelf space-certifiable experiment, with the only costs being building their equipment and launching it. When it was originally conceived back in 2012, the fundamental idea behind Ardulab was to give as many people as possible the tools and information they need to be successful in space. Making Ardulab a completely open-source platform allows for all of the intellectual property to be used to its full extent. The Ardulab is a plug-n-play electronics platform with all of the necessary features and interfaces for use on the International Space Station."

Moon redwoods behind CCAT on HSU campus

It seems like Humboldt creative minds could come up with a few unique and worthwhile space station experiments. Maybe something involving redwoods in space. After all, there are already redwoods growing on the Humboldt State University (HSU) campus grown from seeds that orbited the moon in 1971. Using the Ardulab platform, the Humboldt Microcontrollers Group could help build the hardware for the experiments that get accepted by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). Or the MCU group could help organize a design competition for an Ardulab project. That might be a fun and effective way to get Humboldt students interested in learning how to design and build Arduino-powered projects and might also get them interested in space. It would just be a extra bonus if one of the Humboldt Ardulab competition projects was accepted by NASA to be sent up to the space station. Maybe the end result would be that wed have another batch of aerospace redwoods growing on the HSU campus.

The second MCU in space item for tonights post is the ArduSat. The backstory for ArduSat, designed and built by the space startup NanoSatisfi, is an intriguing one if youre interested in how a microcontroller project went from a concept to company that just received $25 million in funding. The backstory can be told as a couple guys that designing a cool, innovative and useful piece of technology in a California garage -- the Singularity Hub article "Space Exploration On The Cheap: Kickstarter Sensation NanoSatisfi Launches in 2013" says:

"NanoSatisfi is based out of a collective workspace provided by tech incubator, Lemnos Labs, and situated near the ballpark in downtown San Francisco. Upon arrival, one is greeted by a nondescript front door sporting a few haphazardly labeled buzzers...NanoSatisfi doesn’t have a buzzer—Lemnos Labs is in the garage."

ArduSat in space (from Singularity Hub)

Or the backstory can be looked at from a different perspective that seems a bit less grassroots bootstrapping, with the same Singularity Hub article explaining that:

"Singularity Hub asked Peter Platzer, co-founder of NanoSatisfi, to elaborate...Platzer began his career as a high-energy physicist at CERN [Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire; same place the Internet was invented]...After CERN, Platzer went to Harvard to get his MBA and wound up running a $500 million quant fund on Wall Street."

The Wikipedia entry for ArduSat has a timeline for the project, but the big picture is that NanoSatisfi ran a Kickstarter campaign for the ArduSat and got over $100,000, about three times what their original funding goal was. They followed that up by raising over a million dollars more. Apparently that wasnt enough money to successfully launch that ArduSat, because they just announced today, July 29, that they have raised $25 million and changed their name from NanoSatisfi to Spire, Inc.

The Wikipedia entry described ArduSat this way:

"ArduSat is an open source, Arduino based Nanosatellite, based on the CubeSat standard. It contains a set of Arduino boards and sensors. The general public will be allowed to use these Arduinos and sensors for their own creative purposes while they are in space...ArduSat is the first open source satellite which will provide such open access to the general public to space."

If there are a few civilian space enthusiasts in Humboldt, we could pull together a complex, interesting, challenging and fun project or competition involving both Ardulab and ArduSat, two MCU-controlled projects that Humboldt people could work on. Thats one project that would truly be out of this world!

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LED Lettuce The HydroTower And LED Humboldt Hydroponics

Tonights blog post has two tales of LED grow lights and the planting of a seed for a future collaborative project in the Humboldt Microcontrollers Group.

LED lettuce (from Wired.com)

On July 11, Wired had an article titled, "LED-lit indoor farm produces 10,000 lettuces a day." Because several members of the Humboldt Microcontrollers Group have expressed an interest in using microcontrollers (MCUs) for automated or indoor plant growing, the LED lettuce article caught my interest. The Wired article presents some pretty impressive statistics.

"A newly opened indoor farm in Japan has been built with LEDs that emit light at wavelengths optimal for plant growth...Its 2,300 square metres, making it the worlds largest LED-illuminated indoor farm, and is already producing 10,000 heads of lettuce per day. The LED lamps allow Shimamura to adjust the day-night cycle for the plants, allowing them to photosynthesise during the day and respire at night. Discarded produce is cut from 50 percent of the harvest on a conventional farm to ten percent, and the lettuces grow two and a half time faster...stringent climate control means that water usage is just one percent of the amount needed by outdoor fields."

I can understand that the indoor growing and carefully controlled ambient conditions would reduce the amount of water to grow plants compared to outdoors. But it seems a real stretch to believe that the LED lettuce farm only uses 1% of what would be used for an outdoor lettuce farm!

Calvin students HydroTower workshop area

The second LED grow light project took place in my hometown -- Grand Rapids, Michigan. That project was the HydroTower, the senior design project for a group of Calvin College students. The HydroTower was a fully automated hydroponic garden for home use, using an MCU for control and LED lights to enable photosynthesis and plant growth. This MCU / LED grow project popped up in a Google search after I read the LED lettuce article. Since the HydroTower happened in Grand Rapids, it seemed appropriate to find out a little more. The Calvin College alumni magazine Spark says this about the HydroTower:

"In October, the team researched hydroponics, learning about the floating, misting, and flood-and-drain (ebb-and-flow) methods of growing...their HydroTower would be constructed of a 20-by-32-by-32 inch base unit, to house the electronics and plumbing, and two open growing levels, each measuring 24 by 32 by 32 inches. The unit would operate on an ebb-and-flow system, and it would irrigate the plants and dispense nutrients automatically...In November, Team HydroTower broke the project into components, and each student engineer took one. DeKock would construct the

HydroTower is finished

tower. Kirkman would engineer the water and piping. Vonk would create the LED system, using only red and blue lights because those are the only colors of the spectrum that plants absorb. Meyer would program the microcontroller that controls the LED lighting, the pump and valves, and the touch-screen user interface. And Eelkema would create the pH and electroconductivity sensors that handle nutrient control—a system, the team emphasized, that sets HydroTower apart from other hydroponic farms. “The sensors would input into a microcontroller, which would then use algorithms to decide which nutrients need to be replenished,” Eelkema explained. “The only problem with that is the biology and chemistry research is far more advanced than we have time to cover. Right now I am shooting for a best guess that I know won’t kill the plants."

The Calvin College students project website gives this final update on the project:

"All through April and the first week of May Team HydroTower worked...to finish the prototype. The month of April saw the addition of our second growing level and some new plants. Other major accomplishments made before Design Night were completion of the pH and EC sensors, a working User Interface on the touchscreen...On May 7th the Engineering department held their annual Senior Design Open House where the team answered questions and took comments about the HydroTower. Later that evening the team gave a presentation detailing some of the work and challenges they faced during the past year...HydroTower is a finalist in the IEEE Presidents Change the World Competition. The project has been selected as one of 15 finalist entries and the top three winners will be announced at the end of May."

Humboldt Laser Harp v.1.0 nearly finished

It seems like the first collaborative project from the Humboldt Microcontrollers Group, the Humboldt Laser Harp v.1.0 (HLH), is well under way. Ed Smith said today that the HLH was being played by his kids in his kitchen. We will no doubt be working on improvements to HLH v.1.0, and at some point will start planning for v.2.0.

But this seems like a good time to plant a seed for another MCU group project. And a project involving some type of hydroponics and LEDs seems like a good target. Ill be reaching out to a few people to see if they want to work on that kind of a project. If youre interested in being involved with an MCU / LED garden project, contact me at arcatabob (at) gmail {dott} com.

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Not so near distant future

I got up today and realized my stomach was gurgling.  I was still compelled to go hang out with old friends today till...I met up with the magical potty closet.  My friends dont mind and I have no shame but I think it is pretty rude to go and blow up someones bathroom when I knew I wasnt feeling good before I came.  This may seem irrelevant but everywhere I go for advice on starting up my little farming project, I hear "blah blah blah do it rain or shine, sick or well."  I understand where theyre coming from and I know the consequences.  Just making sure everyone else reading knows as well.  I also thought...what are my future plans besides college and a family?  What comes after?  What will be on this crazy farm I want?

I decided against a cow.  While I could provide milk for my local family and myself, it is just otherwise a bad idea.  My dearest loving boyfriend would likely drink himself sick for number one.  I dont actually drink milk.  It makes my stomach hurt for the most part.  I want a milker just to keep him from drinking my milk (which is usually hemp milk) when he is out and because it does wonders on dry hair.  Yeah you heard me right.  Yes I have used milk in my hair before.  It was wonderful!  The way it shined and bounced...oh it was beautiful.  Besides milk, I also wanted something with meat output.  We do eat quite a bit of beef (although with healthier choices, meat will be severely cut down) but eat much more chicken.  The goat meat will be for the pets.  I am leaning towards pygmies because of their lower meat and milk production.

And yes chickens!  We eat chicken, dogs eat chicken, we eat eggs...where would we be without chickens?  I hear they arent worth the work...(but neither are most things according to the people around me.)  Cows arent worth the work for us because we just dont need that much meat or milk.  But chickens?  Free range organic chickens are a pretty penny.  I have no doubt in my mind that we will be raising a crap ton of these for yums with some supplemental chickens from local co-ops.  Besides the point of growing stuff at home is to be as self sufficient as possible.  With a bunch of new people, there is no way this will happen right off the bat.  I have been leaning towards Rhode Island reds but have taken a look at leghorns as well.  Both are common in this area (along with New Hampshire reds.)

I have greatly considered owning some turkeys but not quite sure.  Where I grew up, turkeys are protected by law and are even more stupid and aggressive than normal.  They think it is ok to run in front of your car (they wont cross the street if it is empty...only in traffic) and think it is ok to kick it on your porch.  If you try to tell them otherwise, the males get all jumpy and fluffy.  They attacked our pets if we took them outside in the morning.  I told my old manager about this one day and the wild turkeys in her area (just a few miles out) were nothing like that.  If anything, theyd adopt your cat or your yard.  Our local feed store says the same thing about pet turkeys.  Apparently I just lived around some psychos or something crazy.  By the way killing them is a $500 fine.  I do hear that non psychotic pet turkeys can be very rewarding, especially around thanks giving.  I havent quite found a breed but am heading towards heritage types.

 

 A horse is also high on the list but I like things to have multiple purpose.  It will probably be for short trails and riding around the area, checking fences along with getting food to everyone.  I have greatly kinda thought about it.  I have settled on either an expensive gypsy, a cheap mustang (probably for later), or a dales pony...which would also be expensive.

And of course a dog that can actually protect the other animals from things like coyotes and cats that can protect our fields from things like reapers bunnies.

 

Of course I have my pets that are simply around for pleasure too.  I havent forgotten my current dogs, nanas dog Beau, and the dog that will be tagging along that dearest loving boyfriend doesnt know about yet.  I also still want that beautiful goldfish or koi pond.  Did I also mention that I want a few maple and oak trees as well as some rose bushes?  I know these arent pets but it is still something to take care of!

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When I was little

Remember when you were little and thought life would always have this or that?  A couple of weeks ago my grandmas fax machine went off.  I forgot to mute the modem and we were blessed with beeee burrrrrruuuup followed by the fax.  Yes her fax machine still handshakes very vocally.  Kinda got me thinking...I never thought life would change so much.

My dad is a computer nerd (I inherited it) and we, for the most part, had DSL at home.  I knew most people didnt however and was pretty used to that handshake...you know that funny sound your modem made right after your computer dialed out.  For those of you that dont know, it went a lot like this

beep...beep...beedeedee burrrrrr badangbadang shhhhhhhhhhhhhh

And many other forms of that.  My grandmother had AOL for a while which made a sort of creepy alien sound and went on with more shhhhhh-ing. Depending on how fast your ISP responded, it would continue or youd connect.  When I was little, I thought dial up (which was just called internet back then) would always dominate the market and only people with nerdy parents or that were extremely rich could get DSL (which was also called internet.  Dial up was considered regular.)  Now Im older and dont have screaming modems, I found out they have a mute button.

When I was really little, I thought nothing would ever replace VHS.  I would always watch my favorite parts over and over again till my tapes would come apart.  Not once did I ever stop to think that these would be replaced by DVDs or that we would be able to stream them online (after all...dial up is slow.)  When DVDs DID get big, I thought this was some pretty sexy technology.  Then came high definition DVDs.  Next thing you know, blu ray is out.

I knew my computer games were on CD (CD...not DVD like they are now) but figured most important things were kept on floppy disks only.  I was so excited one day when my dad bought colorful floppies.  I didnt have much use for them but hey they were cool.  I eventually found out about flash drives.  Of course, those were only for the rich and/or important people!  A little while after, I accepted them and figured that this was it.  Now computer games are on DVD and Im sure they will eventually be on blu ray.

Remember Sony Walkman cassette player?  I never had one but my sister did.  I was so jealous of her cool name brand Walkman!  Of course I was born in 1990, CD players were starting to hit big.  By the time my parents let me have something portable, CD players were battery operated.  My parents/grandparents still called them walkmen but hey I was cooler.  I had a CD player!  Then, mp3 players came out.  I held onto my CD players all the way up till college when my last one finally died.  I had an mp3 player somewhere in high school but it was nowhere near as durable.  I got an iPod, which also died shortly after.  It wasnt my fault...I got a bad batch of nanos that were known for not working.

I found my Razor scooter when I moved out of my moms house...wheels worn down and all.  I also found roller blades that were still in OK condition.

When my cousin got the chicken pox, the entire neighborhood had a sleep over at his house at one time or another.  We all got sick but were back to school in no time. Then they came out with a shot for it.  It is often seen as "child abuse" to send your kids to a pox party.

I thought Saturday morning cartoons were an American tradition.  You can still find them on some stations but it only lasts about 2 ish hours.  I remember ABCs motto..."five hours of summer once a week.  Five hours of summeeerrrrr One Saturday Morning!"  This is pretty much what got me out of bed in the morning.  After those were done, it was outside all...friggin...day.  By the way, I couldnt wait to be in 7th grade so bad so I could be like Pepper Ann and hang out like on The Weekenders.  At the same time I wish my school was like Third Street School and we had cool recess.

When I was really tiny, I truly thought that we would have flying cars by the year 2000.

But then again, I thought that world peace was coming in the near distant future as well.
Oh children.  Were so cute!

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Hormone free meat!!!!!! well not really

Hormones in food - Antibiotic food

Now a days with every agri business claiming one thing after another, the hormone issue is one fraught with confusion. While the government has acknowledged the rBST growth hormone to be of concern, they fail to recognize the implications of other so called "natural" growth hormones used and still  taught to farmers today. The most humorous blogs/websites are put up by the government, filled with hypocritical statements like

there has been no evidence that has shown that animals treated with growth hormones are a threat to human health. 

And on the same page write 

Reducing exposure with your food intake

Although growth hormones and antibiotics are considered safe for food production in Canada, consider the following tips to reduce your exposure to these additives:

• Organic foods have fewer traces of antibiotics than non-organic foods.
• Since beef cattle are the only animals that contains growth hormones, consider choosing organic beef instead of conventional beef when you can.
• Thoroughly wash all vegetables and fruit for thirty seconds under running tap water to minimize the intake of antibiotics.

This is all off of the (eat right ontario) website located here 

http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Farming-Food-production/Hormones-and-antibiotics-in-food-production.aspx

And if you would like to look at the alberta agriculture and rural development page, you will clearly see what is being used and taught to "farmers", why they use it and there so called "benefits" in production.

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/beef11691#Introduction

Growth hormones in food

Whether or not these "farmers" are required to state they have used "natural" or synthetic hormones is a whole other question. This should be brought up any time you speak to a farmer, be informed, if you feel any type of pull back or beating around the bush, say thank you and walk away. People who practice good farming methods are happy to talk about what they grow with ( I know I am ).

The old time farmers from the industrial age are lost in a world of herbicides/pesticides/ growth hormones/antibiotics/ and petroleum. IMO This should not be called farming, this is a disgrace to the name. All it has done is wrecked our land, seeds and health, giving rise to corporations like Monsanto and Dow chemical. 

Farmers??  you dont deserve the name.

This post will be more towards growth hormones with a follow up on antibiotic use.

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Our Aqua Cycle of Life

So much has been written about AP and the cycling of systems and understandably so. This is the one thing we must get right. Every person having a go at AP has to come to terms with the cycle, the size of the pond, the amount (and size) of the fish, the quality, type and amount of the fish food provided, the water quality and quantity and the cubic area being used in grow bed production and how all of this fits together.

Of course if we read a lot of whats on the www, you are sort of led to believe that just about any combination will be OK provided the water quality is OK. Well this not true. There is a vast difference between what is acceptable and what will bring really great results over an ongoing system life, which after all is what each of us should be aiming for.

So I thought I should get some sites that give a better indication of what is the safe path to follow.

We need to be aware that despite what some people claim and there are many great stories around with claims of success after success but not too many people are prepared to include figures showing fish losses,  or other problems that have arisen that would help others to get through the tough times as they learn the craft.

So we are going to dedicate some effort into searching for figures that could be of help.

However while we are doing this, we shall continue to provide as much associated info as possible with each issue. Like Now......

http://sowingseedswithchristinemilne.wordpress.com/2010/06/11/worms-fish-and-the-greenest-veggies/
http://food.1tt.net/?p=1336

...and heres Afnan again with an Update

An A/P Blog coming from Vancouver

Cant forget Christie from this Site

Or this DIY special on greenhouses

Another Greenhouse design - well why not....

There are several places on FaceBook as well


Finally, a video on a home A/P system


OK Have fun with these and well be back real soon.


Oh by the way you can contact me at aquaponics@gardener.com

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THE NOT SO GREAT DIVIDE

The divide between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have nots. Which side are you and I on.

Its not about sides. Its not a game. Its more about can you manage to feed, cloth and shelter yourself and your family.Which brings me to World Hunger and Poverty.

Acording to the Oxford Dictionary Hunger has three meanings:

• The uneasy or painful sensation caused by want of food; craving appetite.
• A strong desire or craving 
• The want or scarcity of food in a country

The third one is about world hunger and the reality is malnutrition or  a lack of some or all nutritional elements necessary for human health.
 For those who dont know, Im 75 years old and I have had world poverty on my mind and heart for most of my life. But what can one person do to help, and does it really help. Well when I first got interested in Aquaponics it became clear to me immediately that this was one way people could be helped - if a better way of growing food was available, they could be helped. If there was a way of making it into a lean, mean, food machine.


Thats now the one way that I can see for me to be of value in this present world poverty struggle. To somehow make A/P available and workable for people where it is most needed. So to that end, this blog was created. Just simply to learn and to be an instrument in some way for people to help A/P to progress. For it to be developed. For people to have somewhere where any new concepts, any hints or ideas can be shown for the benefit of all who drop in here and somehow the word will get to the people who really need a better way to feed themselves and their families.

And so to work:

Murray Hallam has two peices worth  noting this time, the first is about Fungi and Bacteria in Aquaponics Systems. And the second is Aloe Vera and Kitchen Herbs in Aquaponics


Next, Logic behind why Plants Grow healthy and Fast within an Aquaponic Farm plus the Many benefits it could Provide

Next: WHAT ARE THE MOST SUITABLE FISH FOR AQUAPONICS


Now for the very first time we have a recipe or two firstly in the form of videos

And now from a Twitter buddy of mine 

Now from the aquaponics community (You are a member, surely) 

Here is a like now to the urban aquaponics manual by gary donaldson megaupload

 Aquaponics Made Easy Workshops by Australian Murray Hallam to be Taught in Colorado and California

Aquaponics Solids Lifting Siphon Overflow Box AKA Johnny Jump Box

Next up another Video Aquaponics Fodder vs. Hydroponic Fodder, lettuce and tomato.

 Now heres a Single Barrel Aquaponics System by alexhroz 

Affnans Aquaponics. Amateur Urban Aquaponics. Tilapia - Breeding - The New Set. After I managed to get some Tilapias Fry from my present stock I decide to make a proper set to do the breeding. ...

Get details about Eco-Friendly Backyard Aquaponics Tour. Tour the future of backyard gardening. 

Aquaculture is the worlds fastest-growing farming sector with an average growth rate of 6 - 8%/year, a value of $86 billion, and an output of ~45.5 million tons of fish protein.
 China produces 70% of the worlds cultured fish. All countries producing over one million tons of fish protein are located in Asia (China, India, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia).

This past spring in CE 180, Design, Construction, Maintenance of Civil and Environmental Engineered Systems, Fisher and his project group designed a flood management system for the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta that would serve small-scale aquaponics, a sustainable agricultural method using water and fish to grow food. Fisher advocated a new line of thinking to progressively return the delta back to nature, Professor Robert Bea explains, “while also developing future...

Tour our 5,000 square foot aquaponic greenhouse!
Tours available beginning Feb 1, 2011:
Learn about aquaponics and controlled environment agriculture.
Discover what you can grow and why it tastes better and is better for you.

Thats the Ball Game for today. Sorry Im a bit late... pressure.....
All the Best
OZZIE

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Linking all that is Aquaponics and that which is Not

This may seem to be a strange title, but hopefully you will see the connections. Every AP System has at its core a fish tank, some form of growing area, plants, fish or other aquatic creatures and a flow system that provides the connection between all of them.The other additive is some form of propulsion (usually in the form of an electric pump) so that water and the products of the system (nutrients etc.) can be distributed throughout the system. Then we can add the bacteria that makes itself available to convert by-products of the system so that life is breathed into it.

Oh yes, I had better include the other bacteria. The bad bacteria that can settle in any corners and cause what can be, major problems within your system. We need to be aware that just as we have aerobic bacteria, we also have anaerobic bacteria in our AP system. However just as you and I have both good and bad bacteria in our bodies, its the proportion of bad bacteria that is allowed to develop that can cause problems.

Fortunately, provided we are aware of good housekeeping procedures in and around our AP system we are pretty certain of keeping it in a safe condition.

There are other thing that can be added to the list that can be byproducts or by-producers in your AP system for example Soldier Fly Larvae, Worms, Duck Weed, Lupin and probably many other available items and products that will gradually be recognized as beneficial to a system.

My hope is that each one of us can and will benefit by what is and will be available through the internet and of course through this Blog.

So to any new visitors, welcome pull up a log and sit a while.....

So now, back to my notes....
First up is a site that goes something like this...
Aquaponics is the marriage of organic hydroponics and aquaculture. Fish waste becomes

Heres a twist, this is a site introducing another site. So seeing as how Ive already provided a link to that other site, I thought I might as well do the same for this one...
The worldwide demand for seafood is huge and ascending. The global seafood industry is...

 The Final Offering for Today.

Garden brings hope to Schaumburg campus

See You Soon

Ozzie

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BELIEVE IT OR NOT

The figures speak for themselves.

Compare them with any other form of vegetable gardening technique.

Heres part of a writeup from the first site Id like you to visit.....
Enter aquaponics, a system of food gardening that has a small but growing fan base, not least because its advantages seem almost too good to be true. An aquaponics installation requires no soil, scant water (2 to 10 percent of what is used in the average vegetable garden), a modest financial outlay and minimal maintenance. Theres no dealing with pesticides, and the system is sustainable and easy to set up. For gardeners conscious of the need to slash their water use during Californias drought, or those with little or no land, this method has a lot to offer.

Read more:

Some folk may find they or at least their plants need extra lighting because of their location so....

The use of metal halides in aquaponics is highly recommended. This is becaus....

Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/aquaponics-a-lighting-guideline#ixzz0qJ54OT5j

...And still more....

A journal of modern day pioneers forging a new frontier in the city through intensive agriculture and extreme sustainability in urban homesteading....

Now theres some juisy bits for you to devour until I return...

Bye for now

Ozzie

P.S.

One more thing.....

Youve heard about auto-siphons..... Well do you want one almost for free.... 

Im sure you can work out the details from the picture below.

http://synaptoman.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/siphon-loop1.jpg?w=519&h=392

And this is the guy who designed it...

http://synaptoman.wordpress.com/

Bye again

Ozzie

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NOT ANOTHER UPDATE

YES BUT JUST A QUICKIE..

Ive forgotten what they call them in England, but the Zuchinis as well as the cucumbers are powering on again now that the Nitrates are climbing. Its amazing how quickly they have turned around.

 I should mention I did give everything a dose of Iron Chelate and Im delighted how quickly they color up after this wonderful stuff. Its like Angel Dust for Aquaponic grown plants that are showing yellowing, veiny leaves.

 Its notebook time...

 I thought I might take on the Bio-digester and throw up some sites to deliver an explanation about the principles.  Let me say first of all, if you have set up an Aquaponics system with gravel or expanded clay as your growing medium and you have the system in balance, you dont need a digester. If however you are putting together a system with floating rafts, you will have to have some form of digester so on with todays tour of the net.

First a Commercial look at digesters and the principals behind their existance..

 Here is an extremely exaustive PDF on this important subject.

Im now going to include two sites that give two views and perspectives. They are both giving their views on commercial undertakings, but each of them show several different slants and are worthy of digesting (sorry about the pun). As I was researching todays Blog, I became very aware of the way modern commercial aquaponic systems have become so complex that they could become unviable.

The first is Semper Aquatic Food Exports

Next this approach from Aqua Biologics

Next I would like us all to consider the fundamental reasons for embarking on the Aquaponic and sustainability road. This next site shows a number of videos, some of them may make you feel a bit uncomfortable but they will also remind us of the state of this planet and many of the communities that can be helped through the push for Aquaponics and a more sustainable approach in all things human, by humans, for humans and it only takes an effort by people with time on their hands.

Now a little closer to home...


Aquaponics and Organic Gardening

Im going to blackout proof my planned, larger, aquaponics system by building an electrical backup.

By the time this blog is posted, I’ll be on the Big Island in Hawaii getting a fast-track immersion in aquaponics

Transition Steamboat Urban Garden Tour attendees visit the Community Roots Garden

WARNING WARNING We have completed the first cell which we can now easily duplicate.

 Thats it till next time

 Enjoy yourself and be good to each other
       OZZIE

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