Sustaining U
Aquaponics - Just Add Fish
by Jeremy Keith Clayton on 11/30/11
It’s not exactly new, but it’s not exactly mainstream, either.
People still cock their heads in befuddlement at the mere mention of
growing vegetables… in WATER? I mean… Algae, Bamboo, Cat-o-nine-tails? Sure. But vegetables?
Well,
as one of the like befuddled, I am here to say it is TRUE. You can, in
fact, grow vegetables on the surface of water, in a pond, in a tank, or
even in a swimming pool, without soil or conventional fertilizer. Some
even say that normal, everyday people, without specialized education or
resources, can use AQUAPONICS as a means to produce a sustainable
at-home farm, from which food can be harvested continually – in some
cases, year round.
Aquaponics is a hybrid science
which relies upon a symbiotic relationship between fish and plants.
Fish, the aquacultural element of this equation, emit effluents into
tank or pond water and increase toxicity levels. Vital nutrients are
extracted from this messy aquaculture as food for the plants, who in
exchange for the “eats” reliably filter the tank water and allow the
process to repeat.
The word “Aquaponics” is a portmanteau of the 2 words aquaculture and hydroponics.
In
simple terms (though a chorus of scientific types are shaking their
heads right now), water, sun, and a hardy selection of fish produce what
would otherwise require tractors, plows and a willingness to get your
hands dirty – albeit they produce it on a much smaller scale.
“A
balance can be produced, with the right investment of time and a little
bit of guidance from those who DO. Anyone can produce an incredible
system. The larger that system gets the more important a perfectly
balanced ratio of fish to (name your other element) becomes. I like
people to watch me do it, so first they can see that it works, but more
importantly… they can also see how the process is carried out in real
time, by a real person. I’ll even bring you to the hardware store with
me – in my webinar that is.”
John Clayton– “Green Water” Aquaponics Instructor.
Learn more about John and the Services he provides at:
www.lifesustainable.org/services.html
Learn more about John and the Services he provides at:
www.lifesustainable.org/services.html
Smaller
scale or not… people are growing Kale, Collard Greens, Tomatoes,
Garlic, and a host of other vegetables via this increasingly “eco-cool”
technique. Most don’t stop at vegetables, though… What about the fish?
Breeding Tilapia, for instance, within this type of system might
increase the size of your supper plate to include… meat. Though a
[Tilapia fish is to beef] what [a vegetable is to a Tilapia], try taking
that stance with the fast rising number of Americans who might go to
bed hungry tonight.
Like all other great American
plans, work in the “field” can easily be halted by the weather. For
insight on homemade, zero cost and zero upkeep greenhouses (Walipini Construction)
make sure you check out our next POST on the man who is telling all of
the elements to, and I quote, “pound sand”.
This post and others like it can be found at www.lifesustainable.org/blog.html
This post and others like it can be found at www.lifesustainable.org/blog.html
