Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Does anyone know of an actively running commercial setup that is making money?? I was wondering because I have been hearing a lot of negative things about not being able to make aquaponics commercial. So is there actually anyone who has tried and succeeded?? I am talking about a commercial setup that can actually support a person off of it. Thanks

Nup........

When you say "a commercial setup that can actually support a person off of it"... just what level of support are you thinking of?....

Well one that actually makes a profit on it's own instead of by tours etc like a couple I have seen. I mean one that is supporting a person as a sole job.

Understood.... but supporting to what level of return.... $50,000 per annum???

I thought there were a few over your way in the States, from what I gathered from the American forum on aquaponics. There seems to be quite a few people saying they had commercial systems, so much so, they run courses on how to do it yourself. Perhaps that is an avenue for you?

He's talking profitable from farming, not teaching. I've got a couple of contacts that are well on the way to becoming profitable as long as the investments pan out without major catastrophes.

Don't quite understand Ryan...



So are they actually operational... and seeking investment to expand... at which point they may become profitable???

Sort of... They are operational, a few are paying their way as they go (still working on initial investments) and expanding as the market can support. 3 Others have financial backing and fairly large sums of money invested (easily six figures) and are profiting, but I don't think they are close to paying off the initial investment.

The ones that are full time farming and not offering consultation or classes or kits etc, are probably not online much. There was one operation up near Jacksonville, FL that was selling specialty greens and edible flowers to chefs and restaurants but I've never seen him online that I know of. I don't know if his operation is paying the bills or not.

Green Sky Growers (the high tech aquaponic greenhouse on the rooftop) now belongs to Aquatic Eco Systems but I don't even think that one was designed to earn money.

I'm testing out the Zipgrow Towers to see if taking the towers to market so people can pick their own fresh herbs and salad right at the market will be profitable or not. Still trying to get the towers populated since I was out of town so much the past 3 months that I didn't really have a big stock of seedlings to plant in the towers when they arrived that I'm a bit behind on that project.

I have no doubt that farming with aquaponics works but it would be a small scale farmer's income. Few small farmers (who actually make their living farming) are rich, they usually make just enough to get by. I don't really expect aquaponics to be that much different. It takes quite a bit of time and patience as well as finding a niche market for your produce. I also expect that most farms that actually support the family are likely to be a complete farm not just Aquaponics. So for example in a temperate climate the farm might have fields of crops growing during the summer and the Aquaponic greenhouse gives them a place to grow the high value heat loving crops through summer and a way to keep production going through winter when everything else is under snow. Some might even have a market for their fish though with all the extra regulation in processing I expect most will just use the fish to feed the family unless they have a specialty restaurant that wants live fish on a small seasonal scale.

hahahaha lol I guess I should subscribe to my own threads. I am looking for a system that would make around $50,000 a year after expenses. I have been trying to find one but haven't been able to yet. I am thinking of making a system that is commercial if I can just find one that works. What one can do another can do. So I am looking for the first.

preferably a system with pictures btw. I like the pics

I think that any people who are doing it, are so flat our "doing it" that they would have no real motivation to be online providing all the details of their hard work to others.. Just my guess....

I think the problem is not finding the system that can produce $50k but the product and market that can. You'd have to sell so much lettuce to make that much it would be ridiculous, and to do it without paying anyone else would be a trick.

lol I just want to know that it is practical in real life situations instead of theory. I am not asking for build details on there systems. hahaha