Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey, I'm a newbie to aquaponics who's living in New Orleans. Like my username says, I feed the homeless in my area weekly, but my wife and I are on the verge of doing it more than we are currently. Right now we're using food bought from Sam's. However, I've always been fascinated with aquaponics and aeroponics and have read some literature on it, but I would like to build a system to help feed the homeless.

Right now, I'm not even in the planning stages. I feel that if I could design a system, then I could build it. But, right now because I have so many questions, I'm not able to fully visualize this.

My question is, can an aquaponic system help feed the homeless? And if so, where do you start? Are there systems out there that one can look at to get some ideas?

I'm not sure a poll would help answer the questions. The problem is that you give no additional information. How many do you intend to feed? How much space have you got? Access to power? Time? Money?
Any/all of the options above could apply.

Have a look at Will Power's operation (Growing Power)... in Milwaukee...

Yes that would be a great place to start, and to model from. AP can be an element to growing fresh produce for folks, and there are other ways too that can all be integrated together to maximize productivity. There are quite a few neat ideas for this on the Internet. One I'm reminded of right now is I think in Oregon where they plant buckets of tomatoes and distribute the plants to people to grow at their own locations. Having a big garden to help supply a food bank would be an awesome endeavor and noble.

No, is the short answer to that IMO
AP is possible,a sustainable way, of growing, a variety of crops, a long side a variety of aquatic species.

As of current time, It would be more expencive (cost $) than traditional ways of aqua/agri -culture, given the climate/environement of New Orleans as I know it? The BP oilspill might have changed that? I haven't been there since early 80's.

I gues a lot will desagree here? but when you'r hungry/poor/homeless the "organic" sustainable bla bla............ Is of none or litle intrest.

cheers

It's won't be cheaper and it may sound crazy, but government regulations may stop you from using produce and fish you grow to feed the hungry. Starup costs could be very high. And of course you would have to do a risk assessment. Things like: If your system crashes and you loose a bunch of fish, does that mean people would go hungry?

Do you have a space with sunlight to use?
Does that space have access to potable water and power?

Then if you have some money to use to start it up, you will be able to grow food. How much depends on so many things.

I think it would be great but there are also challenges listed above.

A few key things that will be important. Fresh food is more nutritious but it also often needs processing like washing and cooking and an approved facility may be needed for that and since the people getting the food are homeless, it isn't like they have easy access to kitchens for preparing their own food.

Yeah, I'd start by saying that if you have to ask the questions in the poll, then option 4 probably applies.

There are probably simpler options to feed poor. I reckon number one option is to look at chickens and vegetables. Chickens are a lot simpler to keep, provide high protein eggs constantly, can be fed on scraps sourced from local schools and restaurants, can be used to clear up pests and crop scraps, cultivate and fertilize new ground ready for crops, etc..

I have just been thinking about doing the same thing. How far have you gotten?

I guess you could give them all a lettuce sandwich.... if you had the bread donated...

Sometimes we need to think outside the box... There's actually more than enough food available in your local area already, with massive amounts thrown away every day from cafe's restaurants and supermarkets.. Just as aquaponics looks at turning waste streams into useful items (fish poo to fertilizer), people should look at putting those waste streams from shops to some positive use.

A recent study in England suggested that around 50% (from memory) of all food is thrown away...

Not in my house. If we cant eat it, the chooks or worms can.

Something to think about is the possibility of having a rather large labour force to get things going and run them. How many homeless would come and contribute time and energy for good food and a chance to meaningfully contribute to their own upkeep? Helping the AP project could help them feel useful and needed again, give them a new interest in life and provide ways to fill in their days.

How many Politically Correct 'do-gooders' would demand you pay them...

Maybe you'd need to sign them up as volunteers or something.