Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yeah, I can't stand people that want to teach, but don't have any experience actually "doing". This was HUGE in my previous life. Like, how the heck do you want to show me how to do something, and get paid for your expertise...when I am ALREADY doing it better then you, or you aren't actually doing it successfully at all.

You could always look up rob bob on u tube and thats free

If you don't feel qualified, then who?

The Evergreens Republic operation is based on a 2,500sqm site, so the greenhouse area is probs more around 2,200sqm. It cost US$250,000 to install, is well and truly profitable, and apparently captured 10% of the Honk Kong organic veg market in it's first two years. The owners would actually like to expand, but they can't on that site.

The key to their success is good system design, value-adding and targeting their market to achieve a premium price.

https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/evergreen ... hong-kong/

Surely no one should teach by default or lack of other suitable candidates... Perhaps I could teach how to start and run a small business, or certainly how to design/build/operate a small BYAP system, but not a commercial one.

Evergreens Republic website.... (and in the article cited)
"Aquaponic systems also demand large upfront costs: it’s expensive to setup"

suspect even they wouldn't claim they got it all going with $250K....

and even in China I doubt their team of "backed by a team of plant scientists and engineers," gets paid in peanuts or even boxes of vegies.

Expensive in comparison to regular dirt farming... Yes!

They do and they did... $250k was their budget and they achieved it. The hothouses cost a mere $20k and were sourced new out of India. The actual system design is a very simple, relatively cheap, easy to set up, yet very effective hybrid system based on the FloMedia design.

The team of scientists and engineers consists of the two owners themselves, and the team from WaterFarmers Aquaponics... Not based in China, but Canada... Who designed and helped install the system for the owners and which is headed by Arvind Venkat, who has three degrees and a masters himself.

If you watch the video in the 2nd link below, clients of WaterFarmers can contact the team at any time, for the life of their farm, for ongoing advice and assistance... So effectively, the Evergreens Republic farm is backed by a team of scientists and engineers.

Arvind and his team: https://www.waterfarmers.ca/the-team/
The Evergreens Republic farm: https://www.waterfarmers.ca/evergreens-republic-farm/

Their website hasn't been updated for quite some time, but Arvind and his team have just completed the construction of their fourteenth large scale commercial Aquaponic installation, including in America, Canada, Asia and the Middle East. When he's not designing or installing farms, he spends a lot of his time in a research facility he has constructed in the Middle East, where he is undertaking extensive research, especially in regards to fish varieties and feed rates in regards to optimum plant nutrition etc.

I'm curious..given that HK has some of the most expensive real estate on the whole planet, how did they get all that done for 250k? The land alone should have cost way, WAY more then that

It's leased.

Leasing is super expensive where RE is super expensive.

...and???

If they weren't paying a monthly lease fee they'd be paying a monthly loan repayment, and being commercial property they would've had to come up with a 30% (or greater) up front deposit.

The point is, they built this aquaponic installation for US$250k, realised a ROI in just 18 months, and are now making a handsome profit.