Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

THIS MAKES ME MAD!

The USDA's National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), which determines which products can be certified organic and carry the valuable organic sticker, is leaning against allowing innovative growing systems, such as aquaponics, from the program.
Why? Because, according to their logic, food not grown in soil cannot be organic, even if no pesticides, herbicides or hormones are used. Yet vegetables grown in recirculating systems are proven to have exactly the same nutritional value as any other and are perfectly healthy. Decades of research have shown this. Many vegetables on our store shelves now are grown hydroponically, but this question of plant health or nutritional value has not come up.
In a system like aquaponics, the roots are anchored onto some grow media, such as gravel or coconut fiber. Water flows through this easily, bringing the nutrients required by the plants, especially nitrates, which is a byproduct of the ammonia produced by fish as waste. A root does not care about "soil." It cares about light, heat, structure, water, oxygen, nitrates, phosphorous and potassium. The physical structure of dirt provides an anchor for the roots to grab, but other than that, earth is just a grow medium, the same as gravel or fiber. Give a plant as much of what it needs, and it will grow like crazy.

We need to make a call to Valerie Frances, Executive Director,
NOSB, National Organic Program (NOP), (202) 720–3252
Web site at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop

Where did you read that they are "leaning against" certifying aquaponics as organic. I looked around the website some and did not find it. Did find a document where an aquaponics farm in oragon was certified.

Friendly Aquaponics, Inc
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile ... RDC5068175

Thanks
Mark

Pffft.
What is soil?
Some minerals, (check) air, (check) moisture, (check) worms, (check) beneficial bacteria, (check) dead bodies, dead roots, wormanure, etc.
We use soil.
And isn't 'organic' the absence of antibiotics, (check) pesticides, (check) steroids, (check) hormones, (check) as you said?

I'm with DejaVoodoo, show me the beef...

That's the way the "organic" standards have always been written... initially, and deliberately to exclude hydroponic operations... and in most cases that remains so...

The certification of Friendly Aquaponics (in Hawaii by the way)... by one of the many "certifying" agencies... was a qualified certification of some of their crops... and not their aquaponics system as such....

The certifying body allowed certification of the filtered nutrient water used in their raft systems and soil beds... as an "allowable" input.... but with-held full certification "pending" sourcing an "organic" fish feed...

Frankly, IMO... with the plethora of certifying agencies, and "allowable" inputs... the organic standard has been bastardised to the point of meaninglessness...

Hi JM
You stated that there had been decades of research in the the nutritional value of AP produce I'm wondering if you could point me to the relevant research, I have been a long time soil gardener and only just been bitten by the AP bug but still have some lingering doubts about the nutritional value of AP grown food

Absolutely Rupe - and the certification only applies up to the farm gate as well. What the middle-men and retailers do to prevent spoilage while the produce is in their stores and transport is not covered, yet the certification remains.

good catch - the document was titled "Oregon Tilth". I just assumed they were all in Oregon....my bad.

Mark

I have started a discussion on the question of organic aquaponics and the need for standards some years ago on this forum
(please be aware that certain forms of aquaponics do allow the unrestricted use of chemicals: raising plants on the highly charged effluent of a standard aquaculture facility, then dumping the residual effluent can also claim the description aquaponics)

unfortunately I did not recieve much support at that time
which resulted in the European directives being what they are

and they exclude aquaponics on more than one level:
not only hydroponics is excluded, recirculating systems are excluded and the rearing of fish in greenhouses is excluded
TMHO all very narrow minded
as this will result in no organic fish on the market

I am happy to see that thing are moving here on the forum

so now is the time to really support the people who try to do something about this (only fulminating about not getting recognotion is not enough):

Bevan Suits, a professional reporter who recently wrote the first e-book on aquaponics, see:
http://www.accesstoaquaponics.com
(the fact that he gives credit to each and every important aquaponics pioneer on the very first pages of his book convinced me of his sincerity,
please judge for yourselves on the excellency of this book which is a work in progress)

and Bevan doesn't stop at this:
he started a movement this week to convince the NOSB
he is contacting each of the members and is very active in trying to build up pressure

only hours ago he started a petition list to get more leverage
I enclose the mail he sent me today:

please all support this man and sign the petition to make the NOSB reconsider
we absolutely need the experience with the media of a man like this to protect our cause

and spread the word, it is probably now or never
else we will disappear in the misty regions of rightly much criticised industrial agriculture

Frank
http://www.aquaponics.eu

I think he missed out quite a few of those "each and every"

Welcome back Frank...

Ah yes mR. Bevan Suits... of Sustainable Design Group... a "industrial designer, writer and video producer with nearly 25 years of exploration of this idea, “sustainable”. "...

Who appears to have never actually built or operated an aquaponics system himself.. ( he has cobbled together a demo "barrel system and an adapted hydroponics operation)... has produced an e-book... (sorry Frank... NOT the first, not even close) for the purpose of extolling the virtues of sustainability and aquaponics.... and warbles on about "open source"...

But like all grubby bloggers with a rudimentary ability to cut and paste articles and photos from various internet sources... he isn't offering such a wonderful collated of information FREE...

Nope... just used the old e-book template to generate some money for himself...

Aspiring writers must shake in their notepads and weep with dispair to see the integrity of journalism and literature compromised by the thousands of plagerisng and self-promoting bloogers... in the same way that the "organic" standards have been bastardised... and for the same reasons...

Percuniary interest...

I bet he didn't even seek permission to reprint the various articles and photos contained... although to his credit he does attribute at least the source of the photos...

This bloke and website are but the latest bandwagon jumper... and despite what only appears to be about six months experience in aquaponics... is now offering "aquaponic "services", "project designs" and a soon to be aquaponics store...

This bloke and spectactular e-book (abssolutely nothing new, and some is just crap)... was reviewed elsewhere recently...

And I love how he quotes the e-book as in it's "second edition".... and yet suggests that it's still a "work in progress"...

Well I guess all blogs are... and I'm sure the e-book will be flogged relentlessly, with minor revisions.... for months to come...

Unless of course some of the copyright holders take offence to unauthorised usage of pictures etc...

And oh lookie... since October 2009 ... he's also become an "aquaculture" expert.... publishing an aquaculture guide book ... in e-book format... of course...

http://www.theecologist.org/reviews/boo ... suits.html

Bet he's got a few more -ebooks on a lot of different subjects...

Mind you... his professional profile would suggest that he is.has been...


http://www.linkedin.com/pub/bevan-suits/3/3ab/107

okay, enough of this discussion, back to the organic certification argument

There were some quite extensive discussions a while back about certifications..

Certainly...but not before providing people with the opportunity to see the productive results of such a master of aquaponics....

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/10 ... r_kits.php