Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

several months back i joined a very good aquaponics association, i had done my research before i joined and liked what i saw, the joining fee was negligable in fact it only required that i sign up, no cash was needed, indeed for what i have recieved in free information i should have paid them something, also there is a treasure trove of ideas and problems overcome that have helped me immensly all just a click away for me, so to all you guys at byap i would like to thank you for being the only association i will need

For those who are willing to sit down at their computer and look on the internet and read through the tons of information available for free right here, it's great. I've always thought BYAP was the best out there and I'm glad I stumbled upon this forum because it is where I got my AP education well here and stumbling around in my yard taking fish water showers and all the hands on stuff of course.

So of course those of you who have the gumption to learn from the internet here and are up to doing the DIY stuff on your own and only want to do backyard stuff for yourself, well there ya go, you are already all set.

And those who are near enough to a place like BYAP where you can go to one of their little workshops or buy a system and have pros install it for you. There you go, no need for an association.

Now seeing that there is a huge surge in people wanting to start up commercial aquaponics operations in the US lately, seems that an association is appropriate. Now while people who only want to do backyard and can figure it out from the internet themselves don't necessarily need or want an association, many who don't feel up to figuring it out themselves may choose to ask for help or might join an association to get an opportunity to visit other aquaponic systems or meet with a branch of like minded individuals in their vicinity. You are right an association isn't required for this, but heck, why not if the association might take care of the logistics and scheduling of some events.

i think it's a good idea.. with caveats..
it's good that the word is getting out...
but the word is getting a whole bunch of interpretations...
uh oh.. it's starting to sound like the bible.. i better zip my lip now!

Perhaps.... Personally I think you need commercial operations that are running successfully before you have associations to help others with the commercial aspects of aquaponics. Otherwise it falls into the same box as the aquaponics university, nothing but a marketing ploy.

the only problem i have with associations is that they soon get taken over by bureaucrats this is inevitable with commercial operations but it is not long before they then seek to regulate even the guys in a backyard with a bathtub and a blue barrel, how long before an official from the assocation has to come to your property to inspect your setup to aprove of it before you can be called an aquaponic system, and if your bathtub and blue barrel does not fit into their idea of what it should look like what then, after all if you look at organic farming it started with an experiment in 1939 on 2 adjacent pieces of land one done organically and one with chemicals,a few years later the soil association was setup, nowadays if someone farts near an organic field the farmer will have bureaucrats take his certification away, im sure that when the soil association was started it was full of good intentions and not a man in a suit who does not even have a system who wanted to make life difficult for people,
maybe thats just me being an old cynic but i always think be careful what you start if you dont like where it may end.

from the history of organic farming

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/history- ... rming.html

☛ The knowledge of organic farming came from India and Central Europe. A British botanist, Sir Albert Howard, who was placed in Bengal, India, observed the methods of farming there and documented them, stating that these methods were much superior to those practiced in other parts of the world. He noticed that all dead plant and animal matter was placed back into the soil, thereby nourishing it and giving it a large amount of nutrients.

☛ In the year 1939, the first experiment (known as the Haughley experiment) with organic farming was carried out, where Lady Eve Balfour (having been influenced by Sir Albert Howard's findings) carried out organic farming and chemical farming on two adjoining pieces of land to compare their processes. These findings were published in her book, 'The Living Soil' in the year 1943.

☛ In the year 1940, a Japanese microbiologist called Masanobu *now Paul, stop that* quit his job and dedicated several years of his life to developing a method of organic farming, known as *now Paul, stop that* farming, further spreading awareness of this concept.

☛ The Soil Association of the United Kingdom was created in 1946, an organization that till date works to ensure a healthy relationship between plants, animals and soil.

☛ In the year 1962, a prominent scientist by the name of Rachel Carlson published her book 'Silent Spring'; a book that clearly brought to light the various effects of the use of DDT on the environment in the process of farming. This book turned out to be a bestseller in many countries.

☛ All the aforementioned events made the difference between organic farming and conventional farming clearer and spread awareness among the public.

☛ The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) was created in the year 1972 in Versailles, France, that promotes and exchanges the knowledge of organic agricultural practices across the world.

These developments led to increasing pressure among all parts of the world on governments for intervention to regulate laws relating to organic farming practices, which finally led to the establishment of specific standards to regulate it.