Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems

From: Phyllis Davis, Co-Inventor, Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems and President, Portable Farms, Inc. Call me! 858-750-2053

Say, we’ve posted “the rest of the story” about the history of Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems on our website in an article entitled, “How Fish Poop Can Stop the Cycle of Poverty and End World Hunger.” It’s a good read, full of gripping moments and entrepreneurial ANGST, along with joy and a dash of fury and drama. Enjoy! http://portablefarms.com/bio.html

Let’s talk about fish today. Tilapia fish.

I just read a great article in the New York Times written by Michael Tortello about aquaponics and it quoted a man in upstate New York who has started a tilapia fish hatchery in the basement of his family’s home. He said, “My mentor in the tilapia world told me I really wouldn’t be a master of tilapia until I killed at least a million fish,” he said. “I’m not there yet.”

Upon hearing this quote, I didn’t feel quite so bad. Ha Ha We haven’t killed many fish in our vast experimentation with tilapia. In fact, very few. Although our farms ARE PORTABLE, still, fish are touchy about being moved to new locations. I recall one move we made. We loaded 50 gallon black plastic trash cans into the back of our pickup truck, filled the cans with cured fish water, placed air stones for fresh air in the cans, put batteries in the back of the truck to run the bubbles. We tied down the large cans so they wouldn’t/couldn’t move and then we carefully placed about 100 fish (they were small fish) in each trash can and then drove, very carefully, about 12 miles to their new home. All of them arrived safely and we placed them in their new home: 200 gallon insulated stock tanks. We DID lose a few fish which we found floating the next morning but very few.

We do NOT breed fish. We buy our 1″ tilapia “fingerlings” from local breeders. We have considered breeding fish but we’re always so busy with the ‘business’ of selling our systems, that we can’t find the time and we can’t make the time because every day is so busy. I will admit, breeding fish is NOT that time consuming, it’s just a matter of daily care and attention because after all, you are dealing with fish who are breeding and it takes love and patience to turn that into a money-making business that breeds and sells fish to the public.

So, here’s the scoop for the tilapia we use in our systems. Because we live in Southern California, we are restricted what what types of fish that our local Fish and Game allows us to use. And, we are permitted to use “California Hybrid Tilapia” which means that all of the fish we use in our systems are only male. Yes, you heard me correctly, all male. Because California has a limited amount of available water, Fish and Game restricts the use of fish of male and female talapia in aquaponics systems because they are prolific breeders.

All the fish used in Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics System are male fish that are crossbred of Mossambica and Hornorum tilapia. This cross is called ‘female fatal’ because the females all die very young. The same number of offspring are produced, but only the males survive. These male tilapia are fertile, but there are no females for them to breed with, so these fish are legal in the state of California because they can’t breed in our water systems.

Now, having said that, a colony of 6 female Mossambica and 1 male Hornorum tilapia can breed up to 30,000 ‘fry’ (fish under 1″) per year. So, you can see, they are prolific breeders.

We HIGHLY recommend our friend, Edgar Sanchez, in Orlando, Florida, to buy your own breeding colony. A breeder colony consists of six female pure breed orange O. Mossambica, and one male pure breed improved body form O. Hornorum. The price for a colony is $399.00 (2 colonies $699.00, 3 colonies $999.00) plus shipping. His website is packed with useful information about breeding fish at home in aquariums: http://tilapiafarmingathome.com But, BEFORE YOU CONTACT HIM, I suggest you call your own local Department of Fish and Game and make sure they’re legal in the county in your State.

I’ll talk to you about care of feeding of fish in upcoming blogs. The phone’s ringing and my coffee’s cold. My day has begun.

Your friend,
Phyllis Davis

From: Phyllis Davis, Co-Inventor, Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems and President, Portable Farms, Inc. Call me! 858-750-2053

This is a diagram of one MODULE that fits into a climatically adapted greenhouse structure. As you’ll see below, a greenhouse can accommodate as few as one single modified version of this module or as many as 28 full sized modules (with a 40 foot Grow Tray Table) for a 10,000 square foot greenhouse.

Dear Friends of Portable Farms, Inc:
Happy St. Patrick’s Day. I’m wearing green today, how about you?

Southern California is enjoying warm Santa Anna breezes of 85 degrees F for a few days. Wildflowers are in full bloom along the roadsides in every imaginable color. Wild and cultivated bouganvilla are bursting with blossoms of crimson, peach and purple on every corner in our Pacific Beach and Mission Beach neighborhood. It’s ’spring break’ and college kids appear on every corner carrying boogie boards and surf boards on their way to catch a few waves. Of course, the water in the Pacific Ocean is cold, year round, (due to the Japanese current of cold water) and so everyone must wear a wetsuit if they plan to surf for more than a few minutes. In fact, 8,000 young adults will be here this weekend on Spring Break for the annual Floatopia (kids on air rafts) enjoying themselves. There’s a no-alcohol rule on the beaches but the kids have found a loophole that if they drink on the rafts, it’s legal. “California dreamin’ on such a winter’s day . . .”

This is an exciting time in the life or Portable Farms, Inc., and we’re receiving interest from those interested in commercial growing, State Farm Bureaus, 3rd World Countries, individuals, churches and of course, families. Our systems are easily sized to meet the needs of the owner to feed a specified number of people, or the amount a commercial grower wants to raise to bring fish and vegetables to ‘market’ to sell. Every day, all day, our phones ring with inquiries about our systems, and people come from all over the world come to tour our systems and talk about their needs for an aquaponics system.

BACKYARD FARMS:
These three sizes are ideal for backyard farms and produce organic vegetables, year round. The size is dependent on how many people you want to feed. A backyard System contains one or more of the Modules pictured above at the top of the page, depending on the space available in your structure. The Grow Tray Tables range in length from 5 feet to 16 feet and are from 4 feet to 5 feet wide.

A 20′ x 30′ unit produces 3,600 vegetables and 1,400 pounds of fish. This size system feeds 8 adults.
A 10′ x 20′ unit produces 1,100 vegetables and 400 pounds of fish.This size system feeds 3 adults and 2 children.
A 10′ x 12′ unit produces 500 vegetables and 200 pounds of fish.This size system feeds 2 adults and 2 children.

COMMERCIAL GROWING:
A commercial sized, 90′ x 120′ (30m x 40m) unit produces 70,000 vegetables and 21,000 lbs (9,500 kgs) of fish per year. A System of this size contains 28 of the modules (pictured above) with the Grow Tray Tables at 40′ long x 5′ wide.

Don’t you think it’s time you picked up the phone and called me to discuss owning your own Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics System? I’m available for you to phone me either by phone or Skype. Phone: 858-750-2053 or Skype: PortableFarmer or 760-317-4788.

Your friend,
Phyllis Davis

From: Phyllis Davis, Co-Inventor, Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems and President, Portable Farms, Inc. Call me! 858-750-2053             

Hello Friends of Portable Farms(TM):
It’s almost spring; a time when most gardeners begin to think seriously about their spring and summer plantings. I realize that many of our readers are still waiting for the snow to stop or the snow to melt before they take that slow and thoughtful walk around their yards and become inspired enough to think about bringing out their garden tools and turning soil or buying seeds. But, the first few warm days of late March seem to inspire all gardeners to think ahead and begin focusing on the tasks at hand to create fresh food for the kitchen, or fresh flowers for landscaping and bouquets for the house.

Now, here’s a plug for our Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems. We have the luxury of growing fresh food and flowers, 365 days a year, in our systems, despite the season or the weather.

This weekend, I harvested and replanted our own backyard Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics System (photo above). I gathered enormous armloads of Swiss Chard, collard greens, bok choy, broccoli, bib lettuce and Romaine lettuce. Generally, we harvest small amounts so our farms always look ‘picture perfect’ because we offer many farm and media tours of our farms. And, many of the plants were a week or two PAST a proper harvest date because of our need to keep the vegetables in tact and ‘photo perfect’ for tours. So, we harvested most of it and gave away almost all of our harvest to friends and neighbors and replanted with the small seeds you see growing in this photo.

If you’ll scroll down to the previous blog post, you’ll see the picture of the inert oasis planting pots I used to grow my latest batch of seeds. I did place the glass dish (containing the planting pots and seeds) on a seed-sprouting heating pad for several days (keeps temperature around 80 degrees F) and the seeds sprouted in about 3 or 4 days and were finally ready to plant in the gravel in about 10 days. Amazing! Actually, here’s the rest of the story: I kept them out of the sun for the first 4 days of germination, and then moved the glass dish inside the farm, during the daytime hours, so they could enjoy some sunshine, and then at the end of the day, I brought the glass dish back into the house and put it back on the heating pad over night for another week. Oh, one more important thing, I always use warm, nutrient rich water from the fish tank to water my seedlings so they’ll receive all the good nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy for the rest of their plant life. These seeds are growing India mustard, Swiss chard, bib lettuce, butter head lettuce, cucumber and lemon cucumber. Please note the meat thermometer I have placed in the planting oasis which allows me to constantly check the temperature of the glass dish and make sure it remains between 70 degrees F and 80 degrees F during it’s germination phase.

You must think I fuss fuss fuss too much over planting and growing seeds for my farm, but any serious farmer must take their time and do it correctly or they’ll be disappointed in their garden or farm production. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve inadvertently killed a lot of plants and fish over the years in our experimentation for inventing our Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems. I regret that we’ve lost living plants and fish, from time to time, while they were in our sacred care, but we learned from all our errors and omissions and we do our best to walk gently on the earth with great respect for all living things.

Your friend,
Phyllis Davis

From: Phyllis Davis, Co-Inventor, Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems and President, Portable Farms, Inc. Call me! 858-750-2053

Friends:
Above, I’ve posted a photo I took this afternoon of the inert planting pots I wrote about yesterday. I planted these 30 seeds in about 10 minutes, compared to the hour it would have taken me with the peat pots which require preparation, planting and lots of clean up. For these 30 plants, I planted 10 seeds of India mustard, 10 mulit-colored Swiss chard, 5 butterhead lettuce and 5 bib lettuce (what can I say, we enjoy our salads). I’ve put my seeds on a heating mat for four days and nights to germinate, then I’ll place them NEAR (no direct sunlight) a sunny window during the day for a week but back on their heat mats at night. I expect they will all be ready planting in about 12 days depending on the seeds themselves.

The beauty of our Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems is that I can use the same section of gravel each time I harvest a head of lettuce (or anything else for that matter) because there is no soil to become depleted. The plant receives fresh nutrients and warm water several times a day when the water comes through the gravel grow table so the plants can absorb it (or not, if they’re not hungry or thirsty), and then the plants have a chance to let their roots dry again so the won’t drown. So, if it takes a head of lettuce, let’s say 40 days, to bring to harvest size, I can use that same few inches of gravel nine times that year to continually raise new plants. Now, that’s food security.

Spring is near my friends. Just keep moving and remember that clarity is the most powerful tool there is for change.

Your friend,
Phyllis Davis

From: Phyllis Davis, Co-Inventor, Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems and President, Portable Farms, Inc.

Oh Joy. My new ‘inert’ planting oasis pots arrived today in the mail for seed planting in our Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems. Because these oasis pots are considered pH neutral and extremely porous, they’re designed to drain off excess water from the base of the germinating seed or cutting which gives the seed or cutting plenty of oxygen and water.

In the photograph (above) the peat pot on the left is the one we’ve always used and they’re adequate for our purposes, expensive, but adequate. However, the new oasis planting pot (on the right) is easier to work with, doesn’t require pre-soaking to swell to size prior to planting, doesn’t break open and leak peat into the gravel, and it is far less expensive. This product is used for (and I quote) “vegetative propagation of vegetables.” The new oasis is not labeled ‘organic’ because that classification is hard to qualify for, however, the people I ordered the oasis planting pots from have assured me repeatedly that there has been extensive testing done on the product with the University of Arizona and that they sell to people for aquaponics and hydroponic systems with glowing results.

This new oasis planting pot is also good for use when transplanting cuttings from a living plant, so they’ll ‘take root’ prior to transferring them to the gravel grow-tray bed in my Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems. I’ll take the strawberry tendril I cut this weekend and move it into one of my new oasis planting pot so it can take root.

After planting, I place the planting pots on a large piece of Styrofoam, indoors for a few days, so the seeds don’t get too cold and delay their sprouting. Or, you can use a thermostatically controlled heating pad under your seed plantings and maintain temperatures between 75 degrees F and 80 degrees F to promote faster seed propagation. Heating mats are especially effective in colder climates. There IS a slight trick to remember when using a heating mat, so be forewarned that the heat causes the water in the growing pots to evaporate more quickly and one needs to keep a vigilant eye on the plantings to assure they have enough water and don’t dehydrate and kill the seeds or the young plants. If you’d like to see a photo of a heating mat, here’s a link: CLICK HERE.

So, I’m off to plant. Tra la Tra la

Your friend,
Phyllis Davis

From: Phyllis Davis, Co-Inventor, Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems and President, Portable Farms, Inc.

Hello Friends:
It’s another beautiful day in paradise.

I have my eye on a couple of Tilapia from our Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics System in the backyard. They’re almost ready to ‘harvest’ for a delicious meal of ceviche. A few of these fish in our personal Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems moved with us from Escondido, California, and these boys are about 7 1/2 months old, 1 1/4 pounds and 11″ long. Tilapia are FAST swimmers and nearly impossible to isolate and catch easily which presents the challenge of selecting one or two particular fish and simply moving a net around them to ‘harvest’ for a meal. So, Colle temporarily pumps some of the water out of the fish tank so I can carefully maneuver my net to catch my special fish.

After we take them out of the water, we bring them in the kitchen, and Colle places them on a cutting board, one at a time, and places a sharp knife behind their eye and turns it half-a-turn and the fish dies without pain or suffering. And, then he cleans them for me and I take the 4 four-ounce fillets (from two fish) from him to make ceviche. I know what you’re thinking, “What a wimp! She won’t kill or clean the fish.” And, my response is, “You’re right. Colle doesn’t mind doing the dastardly deed, and it works for us.”

A few summers ago, I wrote a cookbook centered around Tilapia entitled, “Ten Tantalizing Tilapia Recipes to Titillate Your Taste Buds.” Our friends ate so much tilapia during that summer to test the recipes (good hearted souls they are) that they may never eat it again! They selected their ten favorite recipes at the end of the summer and we included them in the book. So, for your pleasure, I’ve posted the ceviche recipe below:

Tilapia Ceviche

The citric acid that is in the lime juice used to make ceviche creates a chemical process called denaturation. The acidic lime juice changes the proteins in the Tilapia, unraveling the molecules and altering their chemical and physical properties and turns the flesh firm and opaque, as if it had been cooked with heat. It doesn’t kill bacteria, but it does ‘cook’ the proteins in the fish and change it’s texture.

Ingredients:
4 (4 ounce) Tilapia fillets, cut in very small squared cubes
5 Freshly squeezed limes (roll the limes before squeezing to produce more juice)
4 Cloves finely chopped garlic
5 Ripe medium to large tomatoes
1 Teaspoon oregano
1 Avocado – fairly ripe
½ Cup chopped red onion
½ Cup chopped celery
¼ Cup chopped green pepper
½ Cup chopped cilantro
¼ Teaspoon salt
¼ Teaspoon pepper
(optional) 1 Cup chopped avocado
(optional) dash of Cholula Hot Sauce or Tabasco Sauce for spice
(optional) chopped green or black olives

Directions:
Soak the cubed Tilapia squares in ¾ of the lime juice for 3 hours in the refrigerator. Drain off the liquid and discard the rest of the juice. Mix the fish with the garlic, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, oregano, green pepper, and the remaining lime juice. Slice and place sliced avocado over the top of dish before serving. Serve with warm tortillas (flour or corn) or tortilla chips.

ENJOY!

Your friend,
Phyllis Davis

From: Phyllis Davis, Co-Inventor, Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems and President, Portable Farms, Inc.

Hello friends:
Today has been ‘Mr.Toad’s Wild Ride,’ for a Monday in our office (it’s been a busy day) and it’s close to the end of our workday, so I’m just going to make a quick shout-out and tell you that I plucked my first spring strawberry today that I had planted in an enormous clay pot in my backyard in December, and it was delicious. I took some tendril cuttings from the strawberry plant and placed them in water, in a pretty glass, then placed it my kitchen window for ample light. When the root of the plant grows about 2″ in length, I’ll gently place the plant’s root into the gravel in my Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics System. I’ll let you know how it grows.

After much experimentation, I’ve found that some plants just taste better and grow stronger if they’re taken from a cutting and replanted in the gravel. For instance, mint. I’m originally from Dallas, Texas, and I’m a gal who likes mint in my iced tea. I’ve spouted mint (spearmint, peppermint, etc.) from seed, several times, and yet, it seems to thrive and grow better in my aquaponics system when I transplant a cutting (with roots) from a mature plant and then move it to my gravel grow-tray table. You may be thinking, “But mint will take over!” And, I admit that I am careful and that I shove a trowel in the gravel around the plant(s) about once a week to keep the roots from spreading. Badda-bing. Problem solved.

It’s great fun to experiment and there’s still so much to learn about growing various plants in aquaponics. I learn everyday!

In the meantime, I’m starting some seeds for lemon cucumbers (3″ to 4″ round, yellow, fuzzy looking things) which don’t have enormous vines (like slicing cucumbers do). These lemon cucumbers are delicious and a great treat in summer in salads.

I’ll also plant some basil for my Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems and for my in-ground garden nearby. We’ve eaten so much basil over the last few years that my dear husband, Colle, can’t bring himself to eat it anymore, so I make pesto and give small amounts away to friends and neighbors. I mix fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts (I lightly toast), garlic, and fresh Parmesan cheese into my blender and turn it on for only a few seconds and viola, fresh pesto. It also freezes well. On a hot summer’s day, there’s nothing quite like a tasty lunch of pesto spread on rough, whole wheat bread, and a small green salad. Perfection. And of course, I enjoy my ice tea with fresh mint.

Also, I’m very excited my new spring 2010 Burpee catalog arrived today and just flipping though it, I see several seeds that I can’t wait to order. Here’s a link to their website, CLICK HERE.

Life is good? All the time. It’s a choice.

Your friend,
Phyllis Davis

From: Phyllis Davis, Co-Inventor, Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems and President, Portable Farms, Inc.

Photo taken February 20, 2010 in our farm:
Red cabbage in forefront, broccoli on right,
Brussels Sprouts behind.

Hello Friends of Portable Farms, Inc.
We’re very happy that we’ve received so many calls about our One-Day Crash Course and Three-Day Intensive Course about aquaponics from people all around the world. For more information about dates, prices and course content, CLICK HERE.

Colle continues to refine his technology for Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems and today, he’s with our good friend Richard in Escondido, redesigning a key component for a new Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics System that is currently being installed in Southern California by Butch, our installer.

I’m planting seeds this afternoon. We have an expression around here that says, “Always Be Planting. ABP.” Since not 100% of all seeds available don’t actually spout, we plant more seeds in peat pots than we think we might need. Every seed packet will tell you what the ‘germination rate’ is expected to be within that batch, so I generally plant a few extras to account for that factor. We’ve ordered some exciting new organic options to organic peat pots for seed sprouting and gravel planting, and I had HOPED Fed-Ex would have delivered them yesterday, but with the snowy weather on the East Coast, mails must be delayed, so I’m debating whether to plant today in peat pots, or wait until Monday when the ones arrive arrive. Hmmmm, a farmer has many choices to make every day when planning and planting crops and this is apparently one of them today.

We had planned to build the aquaponics system today (for the upcoming courses) but the rains required we change our plans since we can’t work outside today. In fact, our ‘yard man’ was here early this morning, trimming banana trees and was forced off his tall ladder because of the torrential downpour.

Off to work I go.

As the poet Robert Frost wrote in Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,
“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”

Your friend,
Phyllis Davis

From: Phyllis Davis, Co-Inventor, Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems and President, Portable Farms, Inc.

Hello and good morning.
Second cup of coffee in hand, I’m ready for my day.

Yesterday, I had a telephone call from a young man who is an organizer for Earth Day at one of California’s finest universities in the Los Angeles area. He offered us a free booth to display one of our Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems on Earth Day. We had a long chat about the event and he was so incredibly passionate about what we are doing and how he believes that aquaponics is going to change the world by providing people with fresh vegetables and protein (fish). He was well-informed about the topic and filled with such enthusiasm! It was such a pleasure for me to hear his visions for feeding the world and when I hung up from our call, I was struck by the fact that this young man’s fresh approach to growing food was from a clear perspective of understanding. He saw the value in the fact that aquaponics uses 90% to 95% less water than in-ground growing and doesn’t use chemicals like hydroponics does. My heart sang.

I was reminded of the scene in the musical stage play/movie Camelot when King Arthur met a young man, Tom of Warwick, who was filled with the hope of youth, and revealed his intention to become a Knight and tells the King he knows about his Round Table. King Arthur stood and told the boy to run behind enemy lines and then go tell all he knew about the Round Table, “Run, boy, run! Might for right! Right for right! Justice for all!” Well, it may sound a big melodramatic, but that’s how I felt yesterday after speaking to this young man.

You see, here’s the REAL TRUTH that needs to be told about the fact that producing enough FOOD is vital to protect the world’s health – one person at a time: According to Feeding America) 1 in 8 people in the United States go to bed hungry each night. Globally, 1 billion people are unable to secure a nutritionally adequate diet to keep them healthy and active, and 100 million of those people suffer from the consequences of Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM). Childhood malnutrition claims the lives of 5 million children each year.

According to projections made by the Committee on Foreign Relations in their report on Global Food Insecurity presented to the United States Senate (February 2009), “By 2050, it is projected that population growth will require a doubling in farm output, yet growth rates in food production in some regions have been stagnated.” As countries become more affluent, the need for protein in their diet increases faster than the population or food production.” PEM is the most lethal form of malnutrition and hunger. It is basically a lack of calories and protein because protein is necessary for key body functions including provision of essential amino acids and the development and maintenance of muscles.

Matt Damon, the actor, did a powerful short clip by U.S. State Department reminds us that we will need to feed an additional 1.8 billion people by the year 2030. CLICK HERE.

We have had so many requests from people who would like to learn more about backyard aquaponics that we’ve launched the dates to teach a One-Day Introductory Course and a Three-Day Intensive Course covering all the basic components of aquaponics. We will not be teaching people how to replicate OUR patented Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems, but we will be teaching them to grow fresh vegetables and home grown fish for their families. We will not be teaching them how to build a large system for commercial growing.

I’m very excited about the new classes and Colle and I will build the system over the weekend that we will use as the classroom tool that we’ll use during the classes. The classes will be such fun for us and hopefully for everyone who attends! We love aquaponics and it’s a joy to share what we know.

If you interested in enrolling, call me at 858-750-2053. Class sizes are limited so enroll today. For more information, CLICK HERE.

It’s Friday and you know what I do every Friday at quittin’ time: I do my happy dance. So think of me later today when I’m skipping around with my hands in the air enjoying myself.

Your friend,

Phyllis Davis

From: Phyllis Davis, Co-Inventor, Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems and President, Portable Farms, Inc.

Photo above: Colle Davis, Inventor of Portable Farms(TM) Aquaponics Systems,
holding three heads of butter-crunch lettuce that took 40-days to grow

Hello my friends!
As we listen to our family and friends around the country talk about shoveling snow, San Diego celebrates our 70 degree F, warm winter days. Of course, we also deal with earthquakes (we had a big 4.5 shaker on Sunday afternoon – no damages), mudslides and a state that faces a $20.7 billion dollar budget deficit, so maybe snow isn’t so bad after all. LOL

While today’s blog may be slightly focused outside of our aquaponics systems, I did promise you that we’d also comment on us, our business and how we function as inventors and entrepreneurs.

Our fish and vegetables are growing stronger and larger every day. As the day’s lengthen, we’ll unplug our grow lights around March 1 and then add seedlings to grow plants that enjoy the warmer, longer days. We have planted and harvested many many plants in our relatively new backyard farm (installed in December 2009) since our move to San Diego. I’ve posted a photo of Colle Davis (above) with three heads of butter-crisp lettuce from our farm. We put all three heads in a very large salad bowl, added a couple of tablespoons of organic, Nappa Valley extra-virgin olive oil, a single clove of finely chopped/smashed garlic, and a dash of sea salt. Then we gathered a few friends around our enormous, round, dining room table and enjoyed our fresh salad, some grilled tilapia and a hot baguette of french bread. Ahhh . . . the good life.

Portable Farms, Inc. is busy with ‘our business’ and we provide tours to those who want to own one of our systems, so everyday is full of interesting people who come to tour the farms and sit with us near the farm and talk about their interest in becoming ’self-sustaining’ as a family or community, or, about their interest in growing food and fish for commercial reasons.

Eat your veges today! Especially the green ones.

Your friend,
Phyllis Davis