Aquaponic Inspiration To Get You Moving

You will build the aquaponic systems that change the way the world grows its food, so that everyone has enough to eat. To do that, you need to understand systems.

I had a sail making business that depended on my 92-year-old, cast-iron Singer sewing machine. One day it froze up in the middle of a seam, when I had a deadline and was already feeling less than totally relaxed and confident that I would get the job done. I didn’t know how to fix it, so I sat and stewed. Then I decided to take the whole thing apart. I got out my tools; I disemboweled the machine. I took it completely apart. I saw how it worked, how the different parts related to one another, where it was adjustable. It took some time: I spent four hours doing this. Then I found the teeny piece of thread in the guts of the machine that had made it freeze up. The next time the machine froze up; it took five minutes to fix. Now I can fix and adjust any sewing machine I meet because I understand them. Understanding the system gave me the keys to the kingdom.

(Below) A Micro System 64 in full bloom. An EASY aquaponic system to understand!

Aquaponics is a revolution in food production and food freedom comparable to what the world saw with personal computing. We know that producing our own quality food, instead of just hoping giant agribusiness companies will do it, is a great idea. When you understand how aquaponic systems work, you will have the tools with which to start this peaceful, affirmative revolution.

As part of this revolution, we encourage and support affiliates, something no other aquaponic trainers do. We are committed to teaching others how to spread the knowledge required to build and operate these systems. If you want to take this further than just starting a farm, and feel you can stand up in front of people and cheerfully spout aquaponics, contact us (after your MicroSystem, Family System, or commercial farm is up and running!). The real live system is the most important part; it comes first.

An easy and inexpensive way to get started on the path to commercial aquaponic success is to start small: build and operate a small, affordable backyard system such as our MicroSystem 64 or 128. There are a LOT more reasons why starting small is a good idea, even if you have a ton of money and (think) you are ready to start your commercial aquaponic farm. You will find some of those reasons in the Posts Category “Test Grow”, which discusses what and how much you can grow, how you can market it in your area. There are a few more reasons to start small like this in the Posts Category “Start Big, Die Fast”.

You will have a much better idea what kind of risk your proposed aquaponic venture is when you combine the information you read in Test Grow and Start Big, Die Fast with the information you will get when you fill in the Spreadsheet Crop Prediction Tool (which quite sensibly was put in the Spreadsheet Crop Prediction Tool Category, along with instructions on how to use it). I’m sure you get the idea.

We recommend to all our commercial course participants to build one of these smaller aquaponic systems first thing when they get home from the course, even if they have the funds and are ready to begin construction on a full-sized commercial system right away. The reasons are that it will be done and operational in a very short period of time; and will quickly give you valuable experience in building these systems and operating them. We’ve had students build these inside their garage in the wintertime, and light them with fluorescent lights; they work just fine!

Having one also lets you discover what grows best in your area QUICKLY, as this varies widely in sites as little as a few miles apart due to variations in microclimate. You can do a “test grow” in a MicroSystem’s 412 or 824 pot spaces of tens of different varieties of vegetables, and then know what grows and sells best without having to wait to plant out your $100,000 commercial system and find out you made a mistake in choosing vegetable varieties or didn’t assess your market accurately. What a good idea!

Finally, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us in our commitment to this new and exciting method of food production. We will do everything in our power to make sure you get more than your money’s worth from this blog. (Wait! It’s free!).