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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] World Hunger Best Cured by Small-Scale Agriculture

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: gloria@aquaponicfarm.com
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] World Hunger Best Cured by Small-Scale Agriculture
  • Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:07:10 -0600

Duckweed is the main one which is grown using the output from the methane
biodigester. We also grow it in buckets using rabbit or other animal waste.
The fish also get worms, bsf larva, they can be fed rabbit and goat droppings
as well as plans parts and alge in the yanks.

The duckweed is currently fed to pigs, ducks, chickens, goats, fish, geese,
worms, bsf larva, and mulch bins. We fed the rabbits also when we had them.

We try not to waste anything. Leftovers from one system are inputs for the
next system when possible.

We recycle everything possible. So many of the capitol costs are mostly our
time Many things are built from items other people considered junk so we are
able to get it for the cost of gas and time to pick it up. We teach others to
build the same way.

Plans are for fully implementing and expanding other systems when I am at the
farm full time. Like everyone else we have the parts and plans in place but
the time to implement everything comes in stages. I work in the city full
time and teach others part time.

Around here the best market prices for selling are the ones refered to as
Yuppie markets. They are willing to pay a premium for taste and nutrition.

We tried to give away allot of our produce last year but the locals who were
in line for the free food only wanted the cakes, pies, and bread. They would
take tomatoes but only if red and perfectly round. They would not take corn
on the cob unless you shucked it for them. We saw this same thing in many if
the towns that we helped distribute food to. They wanted the easy food. We
put in large community gardens in two towns and no one would show up to help
maintain or harvest. In the larger city we helped put in projects like
walkway and water systems at one garden where the members could not
physically do it and the neighbors all had small plots they were working. It
was in an elderly neighborhood.

We don't know all of the answers that is why we read this group and others to
see what is going on in other parts of the country trying to learn and help
answer questions when we can.

As to certification being a waste of paper. In permaculture if someone is
certified you have the expectation that they were exposed to all of the parts
that make the whole permaculture experience and guided in their learning to
make sure they have the whole picture.

Those that are experts on there own pick and choose what they want to read
and learn choosing to see what they want and possibly loosing out on learning
and experiencing the next level.

I am sorry this touches in so many of the previous discussions but I did not
have time to write a separate reply to each.

Gloria


On Jan 14, 2011, at 10:53 AM, "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net> wrote:

>
> Now that's intriguing, what can they eat that's natural for fish other than
> insects?
>
> paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
>
> On 1/14/2011 at 10:03 AM gloria@aquaponicfarm.com wrote:
>
>> That is why we grow our own fish food
>>
>> Gloria
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Jan 14, 2011, at 8:41 AM, "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Just a personal thought, it seems to me that plants that evolved with
>> roots in soil shouldn't be growing in water since aerobic microbes that
>> normally feed plants can't survive in water. Haven't taken time to
>> research it much and aquaponics sounds like an efficient, sustainable
>> system, but a snag might be in how the fish are fed. Large scale
>> commercial fish farming has got a bad name
>> http://www.worldwatch.org/node/760
>> http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/aquafarming.aspx .
>>>
>>> paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>>>
>>> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
>>>
>>> On 1/14/2011 at 6:22 AM Emery Mitchamore wrote:
>>>
>>>> "Unnatural" is not a very useful way to describe the aquaponics
>> process.
>>>> It's really a managed ecosystem; not at all like chemical-based
>>>> hydroponics, and can be very natural. However, the main point I would
>>>> like to focus on is that intensive vegetable gardening is not
>> incompatible
>>>> with aquaponics or Permaculture Forest Gardening, for that matter.
>>>> Although limited by my own time and energy, I will eventually doing all
>>>> three + chickens and bees. If another venture can be folded in, I'll do
>>>> that too. As we move forward into trying times, I believe we should be
>>>> embracing all options.
>>>>
>>>> E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
>>>> www.hillcountrynatives.net
>
>
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