Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

One thing about cost is that if you choose the materials wisely (if you are paying for them that is) then they will last for many, many years. Factored over their life - the system will actually be quite cheap (that's how I'm selling it to myself anyway )

Veggie, you are right! Other than the costs of maintaining your system, and purchasing replacement supplies, you can figure that over the life of your system it will actually be very cheap compared to other food producing systems. (If you had opted to buy a power tiller and go the route of a conventional garden your initial outlay might have been cheaper, but as some folks have pointed out, it might not have been as productive.)

The question I have for Jtjf is, are you planning on raising other livestock for protein/fiber/milk sources? A dozen or so hens can produce more than enough eggs to provide eggs for 6 or more people on a daily basis. A goat can produce enough milk for 4 people, and a sow can produce enough pigs in a litter to feed several people for a few weeks. I know that the mention of animal protein is antitheme to some people, but it can be crucial in providing proper nutrition and health for growing children. As far as the rice paddy, the plus side on it is that during the flood stage of the growth cycle you can raise fish as well. A double crop for you off of the same area!

Kevin

And further potential for methane gas as a heating/cooking source from our waste and piggies.

Yeah we are plannig on raising many types of animals. And a Bio Gas digester will be in place. As for fish in the paddy we already have that they keep them in seperate paddies thoughs as the growth gets to thick for the fish. We hav speacial ponds that flow into the paddies (AP in basic form)

We are mainly looking into raising, Water Buffalo, Pigs, Muskovie SP? Ducks, Some chooks but not many and rabbits. We want to show the villagers that they can raise animals more healtily and cheaper and also be more diversed in what they raise. For exmple they raise their pigs in small concrete or bamboo pens and pre cook all the food for them. 1 pigs die easily in a small pened enviroment 2 you don;t need to pre cook for your pigs (essecially if the have some free range)

This will go for fruit and veg as well. We hope to intorduce carrots, capiscum SP, brocoli and other types of veg along with apples and pawpaw. We hope to help them to think about dicversfiying their lives so that they can be entrpuners.

Jtjf, you're right about confined livestock having more stress and health problems than ones allowed more space. Many years ago my sister began having allergic reactions to chicken and pork products. After a little investigating we figured out it was because of all the residual antibiotics in the meat. She did real well, as long as we stayed away from commercially produced pork and chicken.

I wasn't sure if you would have resistance from the local people over raising pigs. With the ever increasing number of Muslims and other religous groups who follow dietary laws forbidding pork I didn't know if you would be in an area where this could be a problem. If so, you could either raise more Water Buff or raise some goats. The biggest problem with the Buff are the amount of food and space they require.

Some of the veggies you want to introduce are common in many Asian diets, but probably not in abundance. I understand that there is a problem with vitamin deficiencies due to the high volume of rice that comprises most of thier diet. From what I understand the rice is deficient in Vitamin A, which is amply available in carrots and capsacium (peppers).

My brother, who is 15 years old than me, said that many of the rice paddies he saw while he was in Viet Nam were built so that the bottom had a natural slope to it, and that the end closest to the dam had a "pot hole" dug into it. The Viet Names used ditch irrigation to flood and drain the paddies, so when they wanted to reduce the volume of water in the paddy the fish had a place to "escape" to. The Viet Names would then gather the fish out of the pot hole as they wanted them, or to move to other flooded paddies. You might see if this would work for you in your fields.

Kevin

i think i will be able to produce most all the food i need from my 1 acre yard. i am goin to raise rabbits, fish, vegetables, fruit, chickens, and crayfish.

Hi meany crayfish as in fresh water?

http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/aq/aq021/index.php?0404
some info and I think you guys have our fresh water crustatia
being raised for sale and meat.

yes, we have them here, but they are much smaller then your Marron?

bugger! Oh I actually meant the very same one that have been imported.
brb going to do search.

Redclaw are now readily available throughout the US I believe

not in nevada. no redclaw , no tilapia, i can have all the gambling, machine guns, and legal prostitution i want. just not the fish i want

Yeah, more of our insane environmental laws! If an organism isn't native to an area it is viewed by some of those involved in protecting our ecosystems as excessively evil. Too me, if they wanted to carry it far enough just about everyone in the US would be kicked out as a non-native species. Fortunately for me, I am part native American so I'd get to stay! (Bye-bye white man! The redman gets his revenge, at last!!!)
Kevin

Only the part of you that is Native American can stay, Kevin. The rest of you has to go.

My husband is 1/64 Native American. I think it is legal for him to own an eagle feather.

Well, I guess maybe one of legs will be eligible. I'm 3/16ths, split between two tribes. My old man looked every bit of his 3/8ths.