The Fish Works Best in Aquaponics is Tilapia


This Fish Works Best in Aquaponics is Tilapia
-by Colle and Phyllis Davis

Tilapia is the fish most used in aquaponics.

This fish works best in aqupaonics is tilapia.

We use tilapia because they thrive in water temperature in the low 80’s° F, the water can be fresh water, brackish water or even salty water, and they do just fine. They will thrive in water that can be dirty looking and still grow and be ready for eating almost anywhere in the world. (Salty water will kill plants when growing food in aquaponics.)

Most trout/salmon do not like water over 60° F at which point they begin to experience stress and become susceptible to diseases in warmer water. This means either the water must be cooled and heated each cycle, or the fish or the plants will be unhappy and not grow well.

WATERBLUEFISH2Trout/salmon are also carnivores and are grown best on animal protein. Commercial trout chow contains fish meal as the protein source and that fish meal is from ocean harvest fish, depleting the ocean fisheries.

Catfish, which was our personal first choice, have a different problem. The fry or fingerlings are only available three months of the year (May, June, July) so there is no way for farm owners to consistently restock their fish tanks. Catfish grow quickly, they like warm water, they will eat almost anything, they taste good and are a hardy fish. But, stocking off season is impossible.

Perch are carnivores and eat bugs, crayfish and other animals to grow. This feed is tough to get in the winter months unless you grow them inside for some other purpose. Perch food is tough to get almost any time of the year. Perch taste sweet and are easy to work with but are difficult to find food for them.

Most crayfish and many freshwater prawns are cannibalistic and need to live in separate ‘apartments’ built in the tanks so they don’t eat each other. They are sometimes used in the tanks with other fish to clean up the bottom of the tanks. They are very hardy, but the housing for them is a problem.

tialpiaswimming21-300x199That leaves the incredibly, tasty, hearty and adaptable Tilapia. They are very easy to grow, prepare, they taste great, grow quickly, and are available year round. They are herbivores and prefer plant protein and are very hardy.

 

Tilapia – The Fish That Fertilizes Plants in Portable Farms Aquaponics Systems

Tilapia – The Fish That Fertilizes Plants in Portable Farms Aquaponics Systems
– by Colle and Phyllis Davis

One of the most commonly asked questions we receive is concerning
the fish that we use in Portable Farms®, “Why Tilapia?'”

In the US, please check with your local Fish and Wildlife Department in your State and see if Tilapia are legal in your area.

It generally takes between 7 and 9 months for a tilapia to grow to maturity and we harvest them then at 1.25 lbs (approximately) which yields two four-ounce fillets.

Tilapia is still our champion and will probably remain so for a long time:
Tilapia are considered a fresh water, warm water fish.’ The plants grown in aquaponics systems grow faster in a warm environment, which requires warm water flowing through the systems. Plants do best at 73° F no matter where they are in the world. They may grow faster or slower in warmer or cooler temperatures, but they grow best with a leaf surface temperature of almost exactly 73° F. That means that the fish in the system need to love and enjoy warm water. Please note, different countries have different choices for their aquaponics systems with fish that are ‘fresh water, warm water fish’ other than tilapia. For example, in Australia we’re told they favor using barramundi, silver and golden  perch, and catfish. Portable Farms Aquaponics Systems favor using tilapia.

  • Most trout/salmon do not like water over 60° F at which point they begin to experience stress and become susceptible to diseases above this temperature level. This means either the water must be cooled and heated each cycle, or the fish or the plants will be unhappy and not grow well.
  • Trout/salmon are also carnivores and are grown best on animal protein. Commercial trout chow contains fish meal as the protein source and that fish meal is from ocean harvest fish, depleting the ocean fisheries.
  • Catfish, which was our personal first choice, have a different problem. The fry or fingerlings are only available three months of the year (May, June, July) so there is no way for farm owners to constantly restock their fish tanks. Catfish grow quickly, they like warm water, they will eat almost anything, they taste good and are a hardy fish. But, stocking off season is impossible.
  • Perch are carnivores and eat bugs, crayfish and other animals to grow. These are tough to get in the winter time unless you grow them inside for some other purpose. Perch food is tough to get almost any time of the year. Perch taste sweet and are easy to work with but are difficult to find food for them.
  • Crayfish and freshwater prawns are cannibalistic and need to have separate ‘apartments’ built in the tanks so they don’t eat each other. They are sometimes used in the tanks with other fish to clean up the bottom of the tanks. They are very hardy, but the housing for them is a problem.

That leaves the incredibly, tasty, hearty and adaptable Tilapia. They are very easy to prepare, taste great, grow quickly, and are available year round. They will eat and prefer plant protein and are very hardy. They prefer a water temperature in the low 80° F’s, the water can be fresh water, brackish water or even salty water, and they do just fine. They will thrive in water that can be dirty looking and still grow and be ready for eating almost anywhere in the world. Of course, our newly configured Portable Farms CAD pumps remove all sediment from the tanks and they swim in clear, clean water that turns over at least twice per day.

Get Rich With One Acre of Aquaponics

GET RICH WITH AQUAPONICS ON ONE ACRE
– by Colle Davis, Phil Estes and Phyllis Davis

 

GET RICH WITH AQUAPONICS WITH ONE ACRE OF AQUAPONICS but first, begin with one small aquaponics’ system to learn how to operate it and see if it meets your expectations. Even ONE 5×40′ MODULE that feeds eight people is a realistic experiment to ‘get your hands wet’ as you learn to grow healthy vegetables and raise fish.

With a ROI (Return on Investment) for a 10,000 square foot facility (one-quarter acre), over three to five years, and the possibility that by addressing a specific local market needed to produce a specialty green) crop such as kale, basil or bok choy, and reducing the ROI to less than two years, investors take notice. When a single commercial installation pencils out to yield a net-net in the low six figures and the output can match any wholesale supplier’s prices and still make money, serious investors are interested.

Commercial aquaponics installations are not subject to the normal vulgarities of the stock market, derivatives markets, political upheaval, drought, electrical outages, heat waves, unusually hot or cold weather or even state-sponsored corruption.

This comprehensive information about commercial aquaponics provides you will all the facts you’ll need to make an informed business decision about commercial aquaponics growing in controlled environment agricultural (CEA).

We’re also offering TWO FREE BONUSES with the purchase of Commercial Aquaponics GOLD:  1) A formal ten-step strategy business plan template designed specifically for aquaponics growing to present to funders and,
2) PFAS LLC’s Executive Summary showing production and operating costs, profits and best-produce choices to achieve the shortest Return on Investment.

One module of a Portable Farms Aquaponics Syste

The most common request we receive from those who want to become commercial aquaponics farmers are from people who already have the land and want to install aquaponics installations on their property. Although they may own the land, they do not have the money to make a large initial investment.

One acre of flat, level land covered with four Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems can make you a millionaire and with an ongoing income of over $300,000 from the full acre per year NET. To fund this size operation all at one time requires approximately US$1.2Million.

Here are several scenarios that demonstrate how to achieve this level of success is stages over time.

Oreochromis Mossambicus Tilapia. This is the male tilapia used in aquaponics systems in the Northern Hemisphere.

Everyone’s situations obviously differ from these proposed instances, but you can use these scenarios as examples and then adjust them for your unique situation.

Assumptions:

• Land cost is not a factor – meaning the land is owned or leased at a low rate already.
• You are willing to invest the time to prepare a quality business plan before you begin.
• You have access to $200,000 of capital or the ability to borrow that amount.
• You understand the meaning of hard work.
• Marketing is a passion and a way of life for you.
• You or your partners have successfully operated a growing business for more than five years.

Five Suggested Scenarios and Options for Beginning your Aquaponics Business

First Scenario:

  • You already own the land.
  • The property has access to electricity and water.
  • The land is mostly flat and level.
  • While solar power and well water are options, they may come with additional costs.
  • Your land is located near your potential markets for selling your food, and you do not have the investment capital to begin the project.  In this first scenario, your land is not currently paying you anything in return, but you are paying property taxes on it, and there are other normal expenses that you incur by owning it.

(Brace yourself, this following suggestion may hurt . . .)

Sell enough of your land to fund the first acre or even the first 10,000 sq. ft. aquaponics installation. That way, you are investing your own money in your own aquaponics business and you are paying yourself back with interest. For example, the average size of currently owned acreage of those we have talked with, is 10 to 12 acres (the range is from 2 acres to several thousand acres). If a portion of this land was sold, even most of it, your new commercial aquaponics project could be at least partially funded from the proceeds.

Second Scenario: 

You may consider refinancing your land and using the proceeds to build the first aquaponics installation(s).

This may or may not please your banker, but he will enjoy being paid back in a few years.

Third Scenario:

Find some partners who agree to fund the aquaponics installation on your land. Be the ‘land guy’ and be willing to structure the deal so you are the last to be paid off. After all, it is your land and the installation is on your property and it will be producing income far into the future. You may even want to structure the deal to pay off your partners in total, first, and then you will continue to receive all the income for yourself.

Fourth Scenario:

If you don’t own the land, but you know someone who does own it, and you are willing to do all the work to make this project happen then consider asking them for permission for you to use one acre of their land for aquaponics installations in exchange for a percentage of your business profits.

You may also consider approaching several other investors to fund the installations and then you would provide the hard work of operating the commercial aquaponics systems. This is the hardest scenario to accomplish UNLESS you have a proven track record running a business.

Fifth Scenario:

Research real estate listings and find a few existing greenhouses in your area that area available to lease, and then install the Portable Farms Aquaponics Systems Modules to fit into the greenhouse(s). Then use this installation to generate the capital needed to finance the expansion of additional units on your unused property. The upfront cost of doing this is a fraction of the cost of building a greenhouse from scratch.

Okay, enough with the options, let’s get down to the numbers.

  • A single 10,000 sq. ft. facility can hold approximately 30 Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems Modules costing from $80,000 to $100,000, installed.
  • The ROI can be from 2 to 4 years depending on your markets and the crops you choose to grow and sell.
  • Payroll for two full time employees to operate a single commercial PFAS Unit (30 modules)
  • The Net-Net for this example is US$100,000 per year

  • Four PFAS Units (120 modules) are needed to be a millionaire
  • Four PFAS Units will require approximately US$1,000,000 of initial investment.
    Colle Davis, Lead Inventor, Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems harvesting a PRIZE WINNING 17-lb bok choy. Oh the joys of aquaponics . . . the fun just never ends! 🙂

Colle Davis, Lead Inventor, Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems harvesting a PRIZE WINNING 17-lb bok choy. Oh, the joys of aquaponics . . . the fun just never ends! ?

To start, do your homework, complete your marketing survey, talk to a local casino, high-end restaurant and resort hotel chefs to see how much of their weekly produce they are willing to buy from you. Talk to at least TEN chefs, add the numbers of different vegetables they are requesting together, divide by two (this gives you the built-in expansion for your business) and design your installation to fulfill that amount of produce by the end of your first year of production.

Yes, it’s a LOT of hard work, focus, managing yours and/or other people’s money and a dedication to bring the finest food on the planet to your market that can make you a millionaire in a few short years, but like all growers and farmers will tell you, there is a great deal of hard work ahead. PFAS LLC’s Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems technology offers one way to grow healthy food and profit from your hard work.

A 10,000 sq. ft. greenhouse with Portable Farms Aquaponics Systems installed. Location: Botswana Africa.

Commercial aquaponics programs will change the face of aquaponics, make their investors very happy, create jobs for thousands of people and equally important, provide the highest quality, locally grown food for the growing middle class around the world. The technology of aquaponics, especially as a viable alternative to long-food-miles groceries is finally becoming a part of mainstream thinking.

As the acceptance of aquaponics moves from fringe idea to proven commercial production, there has been a profound shift in those who are interested in applying the technology and how they are affecting the industry. Now the moneyed people (the serious investors), the visionaries with immense deep-pocket connections and the people who can make a difference in the world are stepping into the food growing arena as investors.

Aquaponics is at least 4,700 years old and has been practiced in various forms in many places in the world, especially where great amounts of food were needed for large for areas with large population and the land or water was limited. Maximizing the nutrient stream (fish effluent) is critically important when land is restricted. The use of animal’s waste to encourage the growth of aquatic plants and animals is an elegant solution to a wastewater management problem.

Modern aquaponics offers a locally based, extremely high yield, food production facility that also provides permanent full-time jobs for semi-skilled workers. When a concentration of modern aquaponics installations occur an increasingly sophisticated and broader administrative function is required to run them effectively.

Another benefit of these installations is the creation of many secondary jobs. These additional jobs normally add four to seven additional local positions in the support-function businesses.

Learn more about owning your own Portable Farms Aquaponics System: CLICK HERE.

Read our ebooks about growing healthy food and fish in aquaponics written by Colle and Phylis Davis, inventors of Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems.
Commercial Aquaponics GOLD
Aquaponics GOLD
Backyard Aquaponics GOLD
Greenhouse & Warehouse Aquaponics GOLD
Solar Aquaponics GOLD
Aquaponics Grow Tables GOLD or INCLUDE AN AUTOMATIC TRIP VALVE WITH THE SAME BOOK: Aquaponics Gold Tables GOLD with Automatic Trip Valve

Empty Shelves

Empty Shelves
by Colle and Phyllis Davis

What have you done to prepare you and your family if the coronavirus arrives in your area?

Is your family protected, prepared and ready to ride out the coming pandemic? There will be more and more deadly viruses in the future as climate change increasingly impacts the growing conditions in every area.

Advice from the US Center of Disease Control

    • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
    • Stay home when you are sick.
    • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
    • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
    • CDC does NOT recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
    • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
      If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty,

Food safety and food security are growing concerns for people in all areas of the world should they become impacted by issues related to climate change, food distribution breakdowns or lack of affordable transportation to deliver food, or in this case, the spread of the coronavirus.

Double check your pantry and buy dried or canned foods that will prepare you to live under quarantine if you need to hunker down for a few weeks due to the spread of coronavirus:

    • Nuts, seeds and peanut butter
    • Distilled water
    • Powdered milk and powdered eggs
    • Fresh eggs
    • Coffee and tea
    • Canned tuna or other canned fish
    • Canned meat or canned poultry
    • Canned chili, canned soups
    • Flour and yeast to make bread, flour for pancakes
    • Dried potato flakes
    • Dried corn, grits, popcorn, cornmeal
    • Cereals, corn, rice, grains, oatmeal
    • Powdered drinks with Vitamin C included
    • Snacks including chips, cookies, protein bars, chocolate
    • Salt, sugar, spices
    • Cooking oil
    • Cheeses encased in hard wax

“Preppers” have a big-leg-up on this type of disaster. They understand there will come a time where each family is on their own and utterly dependent on what they have on hand and what they can produce. Your community may or may not be impacted by this virus, but you can prepare for any future events. The survival of you and your family depends on how well prepared you are for any eventuality.

Build a Portable Farms Aquaponics System to create FOOD SAFETY FOREVER!

WHAT IS MISSING IN THE LIST POSTED ABOVE? A Portable Farms Aquaponics System grows fresh vegetables and fresh fish! A climatically adapted structure with solar power provides a powerful and effective method of growing your own survival. Imagine a 16’ x 36’ (4.9m x 11m) can grow enough table vegetable for 8 adults forever. Children over the age of 11 are counted as adults.

Gardening is seasonal in temperate climates and dependent on weather conditions and storage facilities. A greenhouse ensures a year-round supply of fresh vegetables. An aquaponics system adds fish, a protein source, to the list of benefits. The greenhouse is also a wonderful place to relax and be in touch with living, growing things to refresh your soul.

Storing long term food supplies such as beans, wheat, corn, and other grains and insuring you can cook them is the first level. Growing your own food to ensure survival for extended periods of time or maybe even as long as you live is imperative. Preparing for long term chaos periods makes you less vulnerable to short-term disruptions. Think of this preparation as peace of mind insurance.

 

What May Happen – According to the US Center for
Disease Control (CDC) – Updated February 23, 2020

More cases are likely to be identified in the coming days, including more cases in the United States. It’s also likely that person-to-person spread will continue to occur, including in the United States. Widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the United States would translate into large numbers of people needing medical care at the same time. Schools, childcare centers, workplaces, and other places for mass gatherings may experience more absenteeism. Public health and healthcare systems may become overloaded, with elevated rates of hospitalizations and deaths. Other critical infrastructure, such as law enforcement, emergency medical services, and transportation industry may also be affected. Health care providers and hospitals may be overwhelmed. At this time, there is no vaccine to protect against COVID-19 and no medications approved to treat it.

Aquaponics Is a Perfect Match for Those with an Ambulatory Disability

Aquaponics Is a Perfect Match for Those with an Ambulatory Disability  LOVE TO GARDEN? But, can’t bend or stoop? Portable Farms® has a solution! 
– by the Inventors of Portable Farms®  Aquaponics Systems
Until now, ‘dirt gardens’ have not been an option for those with ambulatory disabilities because of their difficulty reaching down to the ground dig in the dirt to plant or weed their garden for long periods of time. For those using wheelchairs or for those unable to kneel for great lengths of time, gardening has been out of reach for them. But wait! We have a solution for all those with an ambulatory disability who love to garden that will satisfy their desire to plant, nurture and grow their own food: AQUAPONICS in a Portable Farms® Aquaponics System! One of the unsung advantages of aquaponics is the minimal care required in Portable Farms®! A Portable Farm requires only minutes of care per day to feed the fish, plant, care for, or harvest the plants in the waist-high grow trays. Plus, these grow trays can be designed specifically for those ambulatory disabilities. The height of the grow trays can be adjusted up or down to accommodate wheelchairs, those with braces, those using crutches and other disabilities. The aisle width can be modified, usually made slightly wider to accommodate those needing more space between the grow trays.

Basil growing in a Portable Farm

There are some instances where the food output or production from the installation is a secondary, albeit important, consideration. The extremely high therapeutic value of the greenhouse/growing environment is such that having the opportunity to be in such space and (this is extremely important) being able to contribute to the person’s own food supply is of immense value. To be able to contribute to one’s own needs and raising food are two of the most powerful driving (innate) forces in most humans. PFAS LLC has designed our installations to accommodate most standard wheelchairs and have made the table legs on the grow trays adjustable to best fit those so confined. The width of the grow trays is also a consideration and can easily be adjusted in the building phase. When a client requests an installation be made for those with ambulatory disabilities, very little modification is required from the standard model to accomplish this change. Those in retirement centers, veterans centers, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care centers can all benefit from a Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems installation on their premises. The installation can be ‘free standing’ or used as an addition to an existing structure. The flexibility in positioning the building is another advantage of the Portable Farms® installations.

AFTER: 40 Days After Planting

For those who have difficulty reaching the ground to perform repetitive tasks, having a grow tray at waist height that can be reached across, from both sides to the middle, with the opportunity to grow the plants of their choice all adds to the joy of planting, growing and harvesting the best tasting produce they have had in decades. Aquaponics is the gift that keeps on giving. The interior space of a Portable Farm itself is soothing, quiet, comforting and very easy to keep clean. The standard maintenance routines require minimal time and easily carried out either under a standard services contract or by a trained staff member.  The added benefit is the locally grown produce is raised with minimal care and can be consumed by the facility. Everyone in the facility will benefit. Even a backyard installation adds immeasurably to a person’s life and well being. With the increasing cost of food and the growing concern about the climate change, one of the answers is aquaponics and now even those with ambulatory disabilities can contribute to removing some of the pressure and lowering the carbon footprint of their existence.

Start a Hobby Farm for Family Fun 

Start a Hobby Farm for Family Fun
– by Colle and Phyllis Davis

Start your own hobby farm and invite your entire family to care for the fish and plants to grow your own food. A small farm requires only five-minutes a day to feed the fish and tend to the plants.

For most people, having a built-in cushion of almost anything provides a really great feeling of comfort. The topic of ‘food security’ for families is in the news today especially in cold climates where fresh food must be imported up to eight months per year instead of being grown locally. Aquaponics offers the choice for growing fresh food grown near your kitchen and available year round.

To have a few months of money that you’ve saved safely tucked away, or a full tank of gas, or cupboards stocked and supplies in the house makes us all feel much more secure. Now, add to that a nice garden, some survival foods tucked away and the means to obtain more food on short notice and you begin to feel that you and your family are ready for whatever might happen in the future. And something will happen, let’s all hope it is something nice.

Assuming you have some of the items (listed above) taken care of and you can afford to create a real survival farm/garden, consider an aquaponics system inside a weatherized greenhouse, basement, garage or even an outbuilding. To size it properly, use the formula for a highly efficient aquaponics system (think Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems) of 25 sq ft of grow space which is necessary for each adult. This ‘small acreage’ will feed that adult all of their surface vegetables year round forever and provide a source of protein: fish. You may want to increase the total area slightly to insure you can feed those who show up at your door if times do become more difficult.

Lanai Aquaponics in the tropics. This tray feeds four people.

Lanai Aquaponics in the tropics. This tray feeds four people.

Ah yes, the cost. To build a greenhouse (10 x 30′) to house a single PFAS Module for feeding four adults will cost somewhere between US$3,500 and US$5,000 depending on many factors. Cost of greenhouse, climate considerations, floor covering, local lumber costs, etc.

There you have it. If you put the PFAS in your basement or garage there is no cost for the greenhouse, only the PFAS Module materials and some grow lights for indoor growing. Neat, elegant, practical and affordable and the best part, it’s AVAILABLE TODAY.

 

Hot Trending Investment for 2019: COMMERCIAL AQUAPONICS

Hot Trending Investment for 2019: 
COMMERCIAL AQUAPONICS

– by Colle and Phyllis Davis

greenhouse large

Where can money be invested today that will give the investor a reasonable rate of return and more importantly assure a safe investment that will be long lasting and be selling product into a growing and insatiable market? Go through the list of all of the possibilities you can think of, and then, add in these additional benefits to the equation:

    • Produces food on a year round basis
    • Can be solar powered
    • Can use recycled water
    • Employs local semi-skilled labor (women, men, young and old)
    • Enhances the value of the property and surrounding property
    • Is non-polluting
    • Produces organic food and requires 90% to 95% less water than in-ground growing
    • Can be installed nearly anywhere in the world
    • Produces an organic fertilizer that can be used on any crop or plants.

Let’s add in:

    • An ROI of less than five years on the initial installation
    • Subsequent installations with less than three year ROI
    • Unlimited expansion in a designated territory
    • NO FRANCHISE FEES
    • Small annual renewal fee

Watch Colle Davis, Lead Inventor, Portable Farms Aquaponics Systems, talk about commercial aquaponics and his book, Commercial Aquaponics GOLD. 

Commercial Aquaponics Gold, EBOOK. For more information and to purchase, CLICK HERE.

  • This comprehensive information about commercial aquaponics provides you will all the facts you’ll need to make an informed business decision about commercial aquaponics growing in controlled environment agricultural (CEA).
  • We’re also offering TWO FREE BONUSES with the purchase of Commercial Aquaponics GOLD: 1) A formal ten-step strategy business plan template designed specifically for commercial aquaponics growing to present to funders and, 2) PFAS LLC’s Executive Summary showing production and operating costs, profits and best-produce choices to achieve the shortest Return on Investment.

READ ALL OUR E-BOOKS ABOUT AQUAPONICS!

Once you have your funding in place contact Colle Davis cdavis@mycoach.com with the specifications of the installation you are planning and see how quickly it can come to fruition.

Perfect Growing Conditions

Perfect Growing Conditions Grow Healthy Plants and Fish
-by Colle Davis and Phyllis Davis

Please allow us to BRAY like a happy donkey about our farms.

donkey

  • All of their food (nutrients) arrives twice per day of a warm fish effluent (heavy waste was removed).
  • Nutrient-rich 80 degree water is refreshed and oxygenated a couple of times a day.
  • The light levels are always perfect.
  • The air circulates to reduce the humidity in the greenhouse.
  • The temperature is pleasant and varies a bit so as not to be monotonous to the plants.

 

  • There are no bugs or weeds or poisons in the farms.
  • Since the plants have ideal growing conditions, they grow faster than the seed packets say they will.
  • The plants are much healthier than ‘dirt-grown plants’ and as a result, they are healthier for you.
  • They are grown without anything added to the system except fish food and sunlight.
  • They require 90 to 95% less water than their dirt-bound relatives.
  • They stay clean and dry at all times.
  • They are harvested when they are at their peak of ripeness and maturation which means their flavor and nutritional content are always at optimal levels.
  • In the world of finance, this ideal system is called a front-loaded capital investment which means the cost of the system is mostly at the beginning.
  • Building a climatically adapted structure, installing the Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems does require a financial investment. The results are a food production facility where the food is grown at waist level, no fertilizer or pesticides are needed or used, no weeding, no bugs, no watering and the only input in the system is the addition of fish food, seeds and a tiny amount of electricity. From the day the Portable Farms Aquaponics System is turned on, to the day of harvesting the first vegetables is as short as 28 days to six weeks.

Precision Growing in Aquaponics Systems

Precision Growing with Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems
– by Colle and Phyllis Davis

Precision growing is defined as ‘delivering the exact nutrients and other requirements necessary for growing  healthy plants with the required amounts of food, nutrients and light.’

Aquaponics uses grow tables in a much more efficient and effective manner. The water’s pH and carefully timed delivery system as well as the addition of macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients are all very important to successful growing results. So are the available light level and intensity and the temperature and the air flow in the building. Delivering each requirement at all times results in maximum yields in record growing times. The added expenses of these high tech growing systems are very quickly offset by the dramatic increases in yields.

  • Controlled environment agricultural growing is very quickly becoming the state-of-the-art production because of the multitude of advantages. These include:
      • Extended growing season – often year round
      • Greatly reduced consumption of water even with in-ground growing methods
      • Less expensive and more accurate pest control – often pests are eliminated as a problem
      • Growing is placed much nearer to markets in many cases
      • Less chance for crop losses due to weather, pests, water loss and theft
      • More efficient use of fertilizers and nutrients used for maximum production
      • Custom and high-value crops easier to grow for local markets.

Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems actually deliver a slight excess of everything the plants need, even the light, so every plant always have the perfect conditions for maximum growth. PFAS also has other advantages:

      • Less water use than any other type of commercial growing system available today
      • No pesticides are ever used
      • The waste water is a valuable fertilizer that can be used on other crops or sold at a profit
      • Waist high work area
      • No single point of failure
      • No weeding – ever
      • Watering is automatic
      • No soil or dirt inside the building.

For maximum production/yield, PFAS LLC recommends the following ENHANCEMENTS to a regular PFAS installation:

      • The addition of micro-nutrients that include  iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium and 53 other vital minerals are supplied with organic FF-Mineral Rock Dust
      • High performance greenhouse coverings that protect from weather extremes.
      • Insulation of all walls and roof that do not contribute direct sunlight to the grow trays
      • Grow lights capable of providing maximum full spectrum lighting for both greens and blooming plants.
      • Inert growing medium for planting seeds
      • Trellis installation for maximum vertical growing for blooming plants (tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peppers, etc.)
      • Full monitoring system of all functions within the building that notify operator of any necessary adjustments required
      • Low cost fish tank heaters
      • Automatic water leveling system for fish tanks.

These controlled-environments-precision-growing-systems are capital intensive on the front end, but they produce income very quickly and continue to produce income over long periods of time with only operational expenses needing to be covered. The ROI on the Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems is only three to five years. Investors really appreciate these advantages and the new ‘farmers’ appreciate the opportunity to reap huge rewards for their efforts.

JUICING with Foods from Portable Farms®

JUICING with Foods from Portable Farms®
– by Colle and Phyllis Davis


Nutritionists report that juicing is not a substitute for including fresh fruits and vegetables unless you put the ‘pulp’ back into the juice.

After juicing, we feed our leftover pulp to the wildlife on our property (birds, squirrels, dozens of rabbits, and sadly, even our large gopher population). If we begin feeding our tilapia the pulp when their still babies (fingerlings), they’ll develop a taste for it too, but it we don’t start them out on pulp, they won’t eat it once they are several weeks old.

Again, back to the wise advice of nutritionists who suggest including at least two whole fruits and three to four fresh vegetables of different colors (which offer different minerals and vitamins) into our diets every day as a goal for health and even weight management.

Owning a Portable Farms® Aquaponics System that is only steps away from our kitchen is an ideal way to harvest perfectly ripe and organic vegetables for eating raw or for steaming (we own large electric steamers that very fast are easy to use) and we also enjoy juicing whenever the mood strikes us. We love nothing more than sharing a variety of fresh juices with friends and family when they drop by instead of serving coffee or iced tea. Fresh juice is a healthy pick-me-up and juicing is a great family activity.

It’s Sunday morning and this morning we had the time to photograph the steps involved in juicing to show you how easy and ultimately, how delicious it is.

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For this juice recipe, we’ve included freshly harvested vegetables from our own Portable Farms® (left to right) cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, fresh baby kale and fresh baby Swiss chard.

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We wash and prepare the vegetables to be juiced. We don’t fully remove the
skin of cucumbers because the rind is high in nutrition. 

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We put one glass bowl under the center of the juicer to capture the juice from the extraction process and one glass bowl at the end of juicer to capture the pulp from the vegetables. We feed the pulp to the many birds and animals who live on our property. If we have carrots or apples left over, I’ll occasionally make carrot cake or muffins with the leftover pulp to give to friends or those who come to tour our farms.

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We simple drop the vegetables into the juicer (push them down into the shoot with a small plunger) to run them through the extractor.
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This is a photo from the freshly extracted juice and pulp from the vegetables.
The juicing process itself takes less than five minutes.
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We take our juicing as a special event and always serve it in pretty wine glasses. Each of these wine glasses holds one-half cup of juice which is generally enough for us to juice each time.

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As you can see, these vegetables created a little over two cups of fresh juice.
I’ll use the rest of the juice in a nutritious soup for lunch today.

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As you can see, there is about one cup left after filling our glasses.

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See how the Swiss chard (red) juice has settled to the bottom of the glass. The ‘foam’ on top is from the vigorous activity of juicing which is light and very refreshing!juicing11

Colle Davis, Lead Inventor for Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems toasting ALL OF YOU today and wishing you health and happiness. CHEERS!juicing12

This tells the rest of the story. Delicious and healthy and one of the great joys for owning your own Portable Farm!  As the Buddhist expression says, “First ecstasy and then the laundry.” So it goes; now I get to wash the juicer (not my favorite thing to do in the world), but it’s part of life.