Why We Don’t Build The Troughs Off The Ground
This is why we don’t build the troughs “up off the ground to avoid bending over when working”. We know “not having to bend over when working” is important; we’re going to explain why you don’t have to when using our systems, even with your troughs on the ground.
(Below) We bend over to pick rafts out of the troughs, once when we harvest them.
The first reason we don’t build them up off the ground is that they cost four times as much when you do so. This is because the troughs weigh a ton for every 8 feet when full of water, and you can’t just lift that much weight off the ground with a couple of 2X4’s. You need a solid, well-built structure with a ¾-inch plywood bottom that doesn’t collapse; and that kind of structure is expensive!
The second reason is that we just don’t bend over when we work, and our troughs are directly on the ground. Well, we do bend over once when we put the rafts with baby plants into one end of our 80-foot long troughs, and once more when we bend over to pick the rafts up out of the other end to harvest them when the plants in them are mature. We never bend over to work on the rafts when they’re in the middle of the troughs! We do all our planting of seeds in a shade structure, then transfer them to the sprouting tables, then to the rafts in the system troughs. All this work is done standing up or sitting, whichever is most comfortable for the worker.
(Below) We don’t work bent over; we work standing up in the shade!
When it’s time to harvest, we take the rafts which are at the other end of our 80-foot long troughs into the harvesting area, where we harvest the vegetables off them while standing up in the shade, listening to the boom box and talking with our friends. Because we take 1/5 or so of the rafts out of the troughs each time we harvest, there’s room for the rest of the rafts in the trough to move down towards the “harvest end” of the trough by that much. They move so easily that you just push them with a single finger as you put the newly planted rafts in at the “planting end” of the troughs. When all your newly planted rafts are in the troughs, your troughs are again full, and all the rafts will move again in this manner the next time you harvest.
Hello Tim
Thanks for the reply and encouragement. My hopes fell rock bottom after seeing this man’s operation which has been around for about 8 years or there about. George Miller is the farmer, really nice guy. They have a blog or at least that’s what I think it is and facebook page. Their called “Miller Family Aquaponics”
http://millerfamilyaquaponics.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Miller-Family-Aquaponics/144058809055779
Aloha Bob
What I can tell about his system and methods (which are obviously NOT our technology), from the poor quality photos on his blog:
1. They are growing at about one-third of the planting density allowed by our technology. This means they have VERY expensive aquaponics systems “per plant”, and are leaving two-thirds of the money on the table.
2. They are using styrofoam coffee cups to plant in, instead of the industry-standard 2-inch slit pots we (and almost everyone else) uses. They are also using a low density in their sprouting operation. This, combined with the fact that I have no idea what their planting mix is, is likely contributing to poor growth, and to the plants spending a LOT more time than necessary in the system to mature and be harvested. Time is money.
3. The fact that they got these two critical things wrong means that they probably got other critical things wrong also, such as: how they set up their farm for labor efficiency, whether or not they got Organically Certified (can equal double the price you get for your vegetables), germination and seeding (doing this wrong can double your time for a plant in the system). It’s kind of amazing he’s making any profit at all, and is still in business.
The obvious difference between what I saw on their blog and Friendly systems is the following:
A. Our systems grow 3 times as many plants of the same weight in the same space. This is triple the production without any additional construction cost, and this alone could mean the difference between going broke and being quite profitable.
B. I can guarantee you our planting, germination, and sprouting systems will get bigger, healthier, and more plants into your aquaponics rafts faster than any other system out there.
C. Our systems are organically certifiable, which makes your customers comfortable with giving you more money for the same amount of expense and labor on your part.
He tried to set up his trucking company with a broke-down F150 instead of semis. No wonder it’s not doing well.
Aloha, Tim…………
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Roger that. Didn’t think the Styrofoam cups were that big a deal. Live and learn, thank you for taking time to analyze his operations.
Oh yea, i forgot to ask what do you think about him using the string of heat lamps down the center of those hoop houses for heat? I think they were 8 ft wide x 100 ft long hoop houses with a double liner and small blower pumping air between plastics.
Can’t find the 5/8 steel form stakes, any suggestions where I can find these? Thanks in advance
Hey Bob,
Try calling your local concrete shop and asking. Amazon has some but they are a little pricey. Did you ask the Pro Desk at your hardware store (Lowes, Home Depot) if they can order them?
-Jess
Concrete shop, that’s a good idea. No I didn’t ask the desk, looked online with Home Depot and Lowes. They didn’t have them that I could find. Keep forgetting about the Pro desk, thanks for reminding me.
Guess I lost my enthusiasm after visiting the local Aquaponics farmer here in Pensacola Florida. Farmer said he wasn’t making any money and to forget selling whole sale, retail is where it’s at according to him but in that’s just getting by and from what I saw he wasn’t living very well at all. Not to mention in this area retail, well, that’s not saying much. Oh well.
Really bummed me out. 🙁
Aloha Wendell
I know most of the growers in Florida, who was this one? Because aquaponics is NOT the same for everyone; it’s a business, and sometimes people go into it with assumptions and expectations that just aren’t possible (and NO business experience).
Here’s an example: if someone went into the commercial trucking business, and bought a single Ford F150 to do it with, we’d all just laugh at them! We know trucking is done with Peterbilts, Kenworths, Macks, International Freightliners, etc. 18-wheelers, right?
It’s quite possible this “farmer” has an F150, AND has a number of other built-in inefficiencies and problems with his system. Not all aquaponics farms are created equal, and to say that there’s a problem with aquaponics being profitable is like running a trucking company with an F150 then saying it isn’t profitable.
If you’ve got his name, please post it, with your email, and I can give you a rundown on what he’s doing wrong, and why his aquaponics isn’t profitable.
Aloha, Tim………….
You can get form stakes at some building supply stores and at ALL concrete supply houses; these are places that sell concrete products, supplies (like form stakes) and tools to contractors. Sometimes you can buy “used” stakes for $2 each when new ones cost $4 each. The used ones have concrete on them, which can be knocked off with a crowbar or scraper.
Aloha, Tim…………..
Thanks
Rafts. If I can’t get Dow Blue board, could I use the Corning’s Pink board from Home Depot? Or will this pink board contaminate my system?
Hi Wendell,
The post your looking for is here: http://old.friendlyaquaponics.com/2015/08/01/raft-discussion/
Towards the end of the post you will find where Tim talks about making sure you do not use pink or white Polyisocyanurate foam rafts because they contain a highly toxic compound.
A tip on Dow Blue Board- I couldn’t find it in my area either but my Home Depot was able to order it for me when I asked them at the Pro Desk. Lowe’s or a local hardware store should be able to order it as well. Another option may be asking a contractor in your area.
Best of luck!
-Jess
Friendly Aquaponics Blog Admin
Excellent article, thanks for sharing. So glad I found you guys. Keep posting please. This is really helping folks, thanks
How much room do u leave between the rafts and the trougth sides?
The inside trough dimension is 51” and the rafts are 4′ so there is about 1.5” on each side of the raft. I found that to be the perfect amount so you can slide or pickup the rafts without any issues. Its a very well designed system. You can download the PDF page showing the trough side dimensions here- http://old.friendlyaquaponics.com/2015/07/31/trough-liner-and-construction/
That makes perfectly good sense! You must remember to save your back whenever possible! Excessive wear & tear is NOT good!