hello to all you BYA Members
My name is Randy Poletz Im from Clearwater Fl 54 year old father if 3 wanting to make a difference with sustainable living and aquaponics.5 years ago I bought a hydroponic vegetable production facility in N.Florida near Lake City. I was strictly an Investor and new nothing about farming.When the person running the farm quit I was elected to go up and run the farm. I was doing so under protest and really was a glorified gofer for the guys that were tending to the farm. The farm was to be transformed into a wheat grass farm for my partners company.She was currently growing wheat grass,juicing it and freeze-drying it and making it into a well known Nutritional supplement.Her farm was on the west coast and was giving her a lot of aggravation and was hard to manage being so far away from where she lived. So the plan was to relocate the farm to the new facility in Lake City. We wanted to keep the staff busy whiled we planned and executed the move over the following year thats why we were growing tomatoes. During the planning phase, some new technology was discovered and she decided to grow her product outdoors and subcontract the growing to people who were more equipped to grow the product.We had no need for the farm and decided to put it up for sale.
The farm sat vacant for 4 years it never sold,I know now that God had another plan for the farm and for me.I was unemployed ,with lots of time on my hands and couldn't get into the idea of starting another business just to make money.There was a little subtle voice in my head that just kept repeating get up to the farm and start fixing it up.I had no Idea what to do other than to get up there and start working on it.I went up there in September of last year and oh my Lord the place looked like a deserted Village everything was overgrown,the home had a caved in roof,floors and one wall. the greenhouses had trees growing in them and the pastures were overgrown.I got busy hired some guys and worked like the dickens all winter.I have completly remodled the house cleaned out the green houses and squared away the property.
I have decided to turn the farm into a learning institute.I got the Idea from a school I went to this fall that trains people on aquaponic farming and aquaculture.I feel that it is a worthy and needed idea.
I am in the process of forming a non profit organization The Name is Nature's Way Institute.The stated Purpose is to raise awarensee,provide traning,and be a resourse to people ,organizations,and communities who want to live a sustainable life .
I built my first patio system over the winter while I was renovating the farm I feel it was successful.I am currently building a larger scale NFT raft combo system for the purpose of training and producing food. The system will have 4,000 gal of fish rearing ,2 8 x 60 raft tanks and a 25 X 100 NFT Module. I welcome Ideas,concepts,friendship or anything that will help The Institute or contribute to what any member is doing.I am currently looking for teaching curriculum,teachers,engineers,and builders of these types of systems to work with me as volunteers at The Institute I look forward to being a good member and contributing to this Forum I can be reached at
rpoletz@gmail.com or by phone at 727-580-7529 Blessings of sustainable abundance Randy Poletz
Backyard Aquaponics
