Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well, in traditional flooded rice paddies, fish would be used for fertilization and mosquito control. Of course, in an AP system, mosquitoes aren't a big deal, both because of the fish and because the water is running. But I really wanted to grow the rice so that I wouldn't have to buy rice. I'm trying to build my farm in such a way that our family is as self sufficient as possible. I plan to grow all my own grains, vegetables, meats and dairy, if at all possible. I'd also like to make a profit, but if all I make from the whole farm is enough to pay the taxes and the utilities, that's enough for me. My DH, who is NOT a farmer at all, will be working at a day job to earn us money.

Of course, you may be right. It might not pay for itself with rice as the nutrient sink. And since it looks like I might live in Indiana by the time I have enough money for it, the colder weather might blow rice as a cash crop. But even if I find that to be true, I can probably grow enough rice to feed us for a year in the big system and then grow a cash crop in the rest of it. The build should be the same, because I want to set it up with walk ways for easy harvesting.

In the meanwhile, I'm going to do the desktop system with rice and see how it goes. That's why we do R&D.

Well, the rice never did sprout. I guess this wasn't such a good idea after all. I've got some rethinking to do.