Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello...

I am in desperate need of some guidance... I have been reading these threads for quite some time now and I cannot express how greatful I am for the wealth of knowledge aquired here.

I have a small farm (6 acres) 20 min south of Atlanta, GA and am launching a sustainable "organic" food venture. I have currently secured $15k for a greenhouse project and would love to make it an aquaponics project. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on whether I can make this work with such a restricted budget. I am considering a hoophouse structure 21' x 96' with 2 layer poly (inflated)? We have very hot summers and pretty mild winters with some days dropping into the 20's (Fehreinheit).

I have looked at systems for sale and we all know that is out of the question. I have come across plans like those from: http://www.friendlyaquaponics.com/ & places like http://portablefarm.com/farm/

I have at my disposal limitless plumbing, construction/building, agricultural resources and I am confident I can build any of the systems from backyardaquaponics.com

Any information would be greatly appreciated...

Get a pvc welder and save a bundle on fittings!
Do you have the ability to get your produce to market?
Can you direct sell to consumers?
What premium crops can you consistently grow well in AP?

Read 4 season harvest, dont heat your green house if you can avoid it.

There is a Japanese saying start with something small and do it very well. I think this applies if you can afford the time to do it that way. Remember, also, that in this economy its the debt free companies that are doing well and making profits.

that portable farm place looks like its just there to take your money. I would love 6 acres. I had two lined up with 50% in the sun the rest shaded for 850 a month but lost the ability to get it due to fascist interference.

I wouldn't go near the "Portable Farm" systems.. or people...

Thanks for all your posts.

Hey Dan: I live about a 20 min drive to downtown Atlanta. I have a HUGE market. I already have opened dialogs with several local organic sustainable farmers markets. Also I will be offering home delivery via an Electric Car directly to consumers and local restaurants. Having 6 acres so close to the southeastern US's Major metropolis is a good thing for this business idea.

Any thoughts???

Not sure I get this? lol

You were going to buy 2 acres?

Also anyone have some suggestions on what kind of greenhouse to build specifically for aquaponics for this type of climate?

+1



If you are going for longevity, go for the type of greenhouse that will have hard panels, not the plastic. Be thinking about automatic vents for the roof or sides. It gets hot down here. No sense cooking your produce before it gets to market.

I counsel people when I'm setting them up a structured cabling network, Shoot the moon. Write down all your ideas that you could possibly want in a system, then pare it down to fit your budget. Same thing here.

Always with an eye toward expansion, of course.

Good luck

the largest problem is the cold season, just be prepared for seasonally high electric rates...

if you choose to do a hoop house you can choose a greenhouse film that blocks some of the intense sunlight you'll be expecting in the summer. the only problem is it's a double edged sword... if you have low light readings in the winter you'll also be blocking out the sunlight there... so you'll want to aim for a medium range.. also with a hoop house not only will you need to heat it in the winter, but cool it in the summer... i hear the atlanta summers are about as brutal as ours on lake erie. the high heat and humidity as you know will cause the produce to wilt.

the thing with a system is you can compartmentalize it... build a tank large enough for your total end game needs, and just stock it with the amount of fish adequate for the amount of trough space that you'll be starting with. every time you add a trough, add the necessary fish mass to the tank... just make sure that the outflow from the tank is in a position where it can be split...

what i tell people when i help them with their system design is even though all systems run on the same basic principals, each system is unique. books and manuals can only get you so far... they're good for getting the right basic idea, but anyone the tries to tell you they can sell you a book with all of the answers is being a bit untruthful...

im going to steal a line from the movie "21" but always account for variable change... what works in hawaii is different from what will work in arizona which is different from what will work in chicago which is different from what will work in atlanta... the devil is in the details...

sorry, the initial comment was posted in the wrong area... lol.

Yes, always start small. And most important of all, just start.. I hear of so many people that have grand plans, but because they can't see a way to that final large plan, and they just never get off the ground.. build a small system and play with it..