Tilapia and the Omega-3 Debate

Tilapia and the Omega-3 Debate
– by Colle and Phyllis Davis

What fish has the highest levels of omega-3? Wild Alaskan salmon’s 
sockeye salmon wins the prize!

If you enjoy fish other than sockeye salmon, consider adding flax and chia seeds to your diet to add Omega-3s into your diet.

Image result for sockeye salmon live

Alaskan salmon’s (spawning) sockeye salmon

Image result for Wild Alaskan salmon sockeye salmon live

Sockeye salmon are native to the cool waters of Alaska and along the Canadian border.

According to Dr. Raymond Weil, a food and nutrition guru we greatly respect, “A study from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine found that farm-raised tilapia, a very popular fish in the United States today, has very low levels of omega-3s and very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids (also found in seeds and nuts, and the oils extracted from them, such as cottonseed and soy oil). We get much more of these fats than we need – they’re found in most snack foods, cookies, crackers, and sweets. The body constructs hormones from omega-6s that tend to increase inflammation (an important component of the immune response), blood clotting, and cell proliferation. Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory.”

Tilapia is a low-fat, high protein fish.One four-ounce serving of tilapia (an average adult serving size) has 100 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and 21 grams of protein. 

The Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems raises incredible amounts of vegetables, but not enough of the protein and starches that are called for in a healthy diet. This encouraged us to raise the fish for food as well as the nutrient source for the plants. Now a perfectly balanced system can be utilized with very little input and amazing output including some protein. You still need some starches and some of them provide the required oils.

 

Start today with fine tuning your diet so you are obtaining your food locally, processing in minimally, eating sparingly and enjoying life maximally.

Locally Grown Food is Fresher and More Nutritious

Locally Grown Food is Fresher and More Nutritious
– by Colle and Phyllis Davis

UGLY and tasteless tomatoes. So sad.

UGLY and tasteless tomatoes.  So sad, so very sad.

 

To be considered a true locavore (one who eats only local food grown in season) requires defining ‘local’ in a way that makes sense to the person chasing the title. The current trend in MARKETING is to define ‘locally grown food’ as food that has been grown within 100 miles or four hour’s drive from the consumer. After all, who in the North Eastern US enjoys a freshly grown tomato in January or February that has a rich summer flavor? The majority of their tomatoes are shipped from Canadian hydroponics tomatoes (they LOOK like tomatoes but have no flavor) or they were shipped from Mexico and harvested before ripeness, gassed and then shipped to the East Coast. Again, they look like tomatoes but have no flavor.

With today’s air transportation, it is possible to fly produce over 2,000 miles in four hours. Locally grown? Hmmm, no, not really local, but it would fit one organization’s definition. Even four hours of driving means over 200 miles away and that travel time is hard on vegetables that were harvested at ripeness. The difference between food grown within 30 minutes of the place it is grown and shipped to a consumer, and having it travel four hours is not subtle, and it is not easy to understand why people are confused regarding what good food actually looks and tastes like anymore.

warehouseToday’s food distribution system is truly an amazing logistics delivery mechanism. Food can be grown, harvested a bit early, packed, transported to a terminal to arrive at the local store in three to eight days, anywhere in the WORLD. The price of the food locally is determined on a worldwide basis which means that the cost of a head of lettuce or a tomato is similar everywhere in the world. There are a few exceptions to this statement, but most of the differences are because of locally available seasonal produce and the customs or shipping cost involved in moving the produce from field to store.

Kittitas County Farmer's Market, Ellensburg, Washington, USA

Collard Greens‎ freshly picked at a local marketIf locavores INSIST on local meaning ‘within an hour’s drive’ then the retail outlets will become more focused on what they can procure locally. And because locavores are usually willing to pay at least a slightly higher price for the best food in the world, the market will very quickly support ‘local’ farmers. The trick is the year round supply of fresh vegetables.

Here is where controlled environments growing comes into play and becomes profitable to the point of being an excellent investment as well as ‘helping ‘ people.

The Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems or any aquaponics system housed in a climatically adapted structure can produce prodigious amounts of food year round. The local markets are beginning to demand this level of ‘local’ and have customers that will buy all that can be produced. It is a seller’s market and the first to deliver will have those customers for life.

Urban Deserts in 2017

Urban Deserts in 2017
– by Colle and Phyllis Davis

Image result for map food desert

The Food Access Research Atlas – USDA
About 23.5 million people live in food deserts in the United States.  2.3 million people (2.2% of all US households) live in low-income, rural areas more than 10 miles from a grocery store.

Growing food in city areas:

        • Eliminates the cost of transporting food from farms to cities
        • Offers healthy food choices instead of low-nutrition food currently purchased in convenience stores in cities
        • Improves property values by renovating vacant areas of neighborhoods and bringing paying jobs to community members
        • Reduces the carbon footprint by growing food locally
        • Increases a community’s level of self-sufficiency
        • Brings awareness to communities for issues related to healthy eating
        • Offers beauty to communities and fosters a sense of local pride. 

portable-farms-aquaponics-system-farm

16′ x 33′ Portable Farms® Aquaponics System – Feeds 10 people FOREVER.

In the past six decades, the world has benefited from the green revolution, the increased efficiencies of farming, the expansion of the food pipeline from ‘field to fork’ and lower energy costs. Now it’s time for a reexamination of food production because energy costs are creating an increasingly heavy impact on food prices.

VACANTLOTThe practice of actually growing healthy food in major cities is a hot new trend. Aquaponics is on the forefront of replacing ‘Urban Deserts’ as the next big wave for providing healthy food in congested areas of cities and replacing fast food and low nutrition food in the small markets currently selling hot dogs, hot pockets, sodas, chips and candy.

The spread of rooftop gardens, vertical gardens, growing plants inside of warehouses and the use of vacant city lots is increasing as urban living is a growing percentage of the overall population of any area. Every country is involved in this food-urbanization trend and the need to feed city dwellers is a growing logistical problem facing  cities and locals governments.

When residents of a community are told there is no room to grow vegetable in an urban environment, the most amazing thing happens; people find acres of space to grow food and ‘unused’ space is now being converted to food production and each vegetable, fruit or animal is being raised near where it will be consumed which reduces the carbon footprint of the consumer and the impact of the food on the environment.

Open fields and space to grow crops is becoming less of an issue in the food supply chain for some creative and hard working people. It is the focus, the will and the work required to grow foods locally that are the limiting factors in urban farming, not the space.

The idea of eating fresh vegetables and fruits from your own backyard, a roof top, a formerly vacant lot or from a warehouse converted to grow food has tremendous cache and power. A food production facility can be up and running in a kitchen window or front yard or other creatively discovered locations in a very short time. The startup cost for a common garden is very small, the work involved reasonably low, and the rewards are invaluable and delightfully long lasting.

interior april 12

The Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems is a proven closed loop commercial aquaponics system that is available in most countries today. For about US$1M an installation can be built to feed 1,000 people, employ 10 to 15 people in permanent full time jobs, be solar powered, use 95% less water than in-ground growing and can be built almost anywhere in the world and be producing food in less than six months. 

Growing a single tomato plant in the kitchen or living room window signals the start of someone’s personal commitment to their own secure future. Having even a tiny backyard or rooftop garden creates a deep sense of power and control over one’s future. Building and enjoying a Portable Farms® Aquaponics System is true freedom in a package.

Food is the most important part of our lives and consuming locally grown food, especially if that food is grown by one’s own family is becoming increasingly tied to urban survival. Growing a tomato plant that yields dozens of tomatoes over many months or a single lettuce plant that is grown, harvested and a new seedling planted in the same spot shift the power to the family who is involved in the process. Having locally grown food gives community members the incentive to grow and procure more food locally.

Tilapia – Seafood Health Facts

Tilapia – Seafood Health Facts
– from seafoodhealthfacts.org


Some farming operations are using a technique called aquaponics to cultivate fish and vegetables or herbs together to produce two or more products in the same water based system.

Since 2006, Americans have consumed over 1 pound of tilapia per person each year. Predictions suggest it will remain a popular selection due to its mild flavor and taste, versatility in preparation, and competitive prices.

Tilapia has progressively grown in popularity since 2002 when it first entered the top ten list of the most frequently consumed seafood products in the United States. It is currently the fourth most popular type of fish behind tuna, salmon and Alaskan pollock, and the third most popular aquaculture or farm raised seafood product behind shrimp and salmon.

Types and Sources of Products

Tilapia is probably the oldest farm raised fish in the world. Stories from biblical scholars suggest it was the fish used by Jesus to feed the crowds at the Sea of Galilee, the so-called ‘St. Peter’s Fish’. Today, over 80 nations produce farm-raised tilapia including the United States. China is the largest producer accounting for over 50 percent of the world’s production.

There are many different species of tilapia. Aquaculture producers have developed various breeds or hybrids that grow efficiently to market size and have desirable appearance and flavor characteristics. The approved market name for all varieties is ‘Tilapia’, and the three primary species in the marketplace are: Nile or Black tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), Blue tilapia (O. aureus), and Mozambique or red tilapia (O. mossambicus). Although the species names imply different colors, the edible fillets or portions are very similar and more influenced by growing conditions and feeds than external colors.

Tilapia is a hardy herbivorous fish that feeds on algae or small aquatic plant cells, and is primarily raised in freshwater systems using cages, ponds, raceways or open waters. The water conditions in the farming operations have an important impact on product quality and taste. Tilapia has been called the “aqua-chicken” because of the breeding improvements and mass production methods that evoke comparisons to the land based chicken industry in the United States. Organic production methods for tilapia have been developed and some producers are seeking official recognition for their products.

Product Forms and Buyer Advice

Tilapia is popular because it is a mild flavored, white-fleshed fish that is available throughout the year at a competitive price. The most popular product form is skinless and boneless fillets ranging in size from 3 to 9 ounces (5 to 7 ounce fillets are the most common). Various processing and packaging methods are used to ensure that fillets have a mild flavor and retain their bright red color. During the early years of production, tilapia from some sources had unpredictable off-flavors that were associated with water conditions and certain types of algae from different freshwater farming operations. However, recent production improvements have introduced methods to prevent the development of off flavors and screen products to ensure that flavors are uniform.

As the tilapia market has grown, some efforts to creatively market this species or illegally change its name to something more appealing such as sunshine snapper, cherry snapper and pink snapper have occurred. Substituting tilapia for a more valuable species is also illegal, but stands as testimony to its quality attributes.

Nutrition Information

Tilapia has a low to moderate fat content, and is a rich source of high quality protein. A nutrition label for a 3 ounce cooked portion of tilapia is provided. Nutrient levels can be affected by the ingredients and cooking method used to prepare tilapia fillets.

Sustainability and Management

Tilapia is a sustainable farm-raised product. Because tilapia are herbivorous fish that feed on algae, there is no need for feeds produced from wild caught fish. Raising tilapia in some ponds or other small water bodies can actually help improve the quality of waters compromised by excessive algae blooms.

References

National Marine Fisheries Service, 2011. Fisheries of the United States 2010

USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference

New study maps where fish and seafood can be sustainably farmed

A tiny fraction of oceans could satisfy the world’s fish demand

New study maps where fish and seafood can be sustainably farmed

Aquaculture

 

by David Colgan | August 14, 2017

Ocean aquaculture is already the fastest-growing food sector, but a lot of work remains to reach its vast potential. From sashimi to smoked salmon, ceviche to mussels Provençal, seafood dishes are among the world’s best-loved culinary delights and dietary staples.

But the billions of people on the planet may love them too much. According to United Nations estimates, about 57 percent of fish stocks are exploited — meaning they can bear no more fishing without population decline — and 30 percent are over-exploited, depleted or recovering.

A solution may be on the horizon. According to a study published today and co-authored by Peter Kareiva, director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, ocean-farmed fish and seafood — or aquaculture — has the potential to satisfy global demand by using a tiny fraction of oceans. Freshwater fish farms have been around for a long time, but off-shore operations are a more recent development.

Drawing on the findings of the paper, which maps the global potential of aquaculture, a mere 0.025 percent of the world’s oceans could satisfy global demand for fish, which is at an all-time high. An area of prime locations the size of Lake Michigan could theoretically provide as much as all of the world’s wild-caught fisheries combined.

Kareiva said the findings offer hope for both the environment and people.

“We need to find more protein for our growing population, and we have pretty much tapped out wild fish as protein sources,” Kareiva said. “This study shows that farming fish in the ocean could play a huge role in feeding people without degrading our ocean or overfishing wild species.”

Previous research has mostly focused on specific aquaculture topics like where to best farm specific species, said Rebecca Gentry, the study’s lead author and a marine ecologist who got her doctorate from UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. When settling on the broad subject of the study, the research group — which includes non-governmental organizations, universities and industry experts — quickly discovered that there were many questions to answer.

“We realized that there is a lack of broad-scale science looking at how aquaculture can be done sustainably,” Gentry said. “We really didn’t know where it can be done, how much it can be done.”

First, they had to rule out areas that can’t be farmed — places like shipping lanes, marine protected areas and offshore drilling sites. They looked at the physiology of 180 species being farmed and what environments are most conducive to them, combining data like ocean depth, temperature and the biological needs of species. They also ruled out places that would be impractical given current technology — the middle of the ocean might be farmable in the future, but the industry can’t do it effectively now.

 

Baked & Crunchy Tilapia Recipe

Easy Baked & Crunchy Tilapia

from Phyllis Davis’ Tilapia Cookbook, Ten Tantalizing Tilapia Recipes to Titillate Your Taste Buds©

 

This is a super easy and healthy fish dish that is only ‘drizzled’ with olive oil and baked for 17 minutes. What could be easier? You can serve it with a quick cabbage salad and boiled new potatoes and viola! You’ll have a freshly prepared meal in a matter of minutes. And if you own your own Portable Farms® Aquaponics System, you’ll have an endless supply of fresh, home-grown tilapia!

 

COOKBOOK COVER 2

Enjoy Tilapia as a Low Calorie, Low Fat, High Protein Alternative to a Skinless Chicken Breast

* 4 oz Tilapia fillet – 105 calories, 1 gram fat, 23 grams protein

* 4 oz skinless chicken breast – 140 calories, 2 grams fat, 33 grams protein

tilapia in pan

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4  (4 ounce) Tilapia fillets cut into 2 or 3 inch strips each (One tilapia generally produces two 4 oz fillets)
  • 1 Cup oat-bran cereal (even cornflakes will work)
  • 1 Teaspoon fresh or dried basil leaves
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • ¼ Teaspoon Pepper
  • ¼ Cup milk (skim or whole)
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil

Secret Tilapia Chutney that WOW’s ‘Em every time

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 Cup sour cream
  • 1 Teaspoon crushed or creamy horseradish (or more to taste)
  • 3 Tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro
  • 3 Tablespoons of any mixture of the following choices (use a food processor if you have one): crushed cashew nuts, chopped red or green bell pepper, sliced olives, chopped onion, grated carrots, or chopped broccoli. (optional) Lemon or lime juice.
  • If you want to spice it up, add a dash of cayenne pepper or a dash of Tabasco or Cholula Sauce.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Grease or spray a medium sized baking pan.
  3. Crush cereal in a small bag with a rolling pin or mix in a food processor.
  4. In one mixing bowl, mix cereal, salt, and pepper.
  5. Cut Tilapia fillets into 2 to 3 inch strips.
  6. In another mixing bowl, pour in milk then dip each of your Tilapia fillets into the milk.
  7. Move the moist Tilapia fillets from the milk into the mixing bowl with the cereal, salt and pepper and bread both sides of the fish.
  8. Place your breaded Tilapia fillets into the baking pan and drizzle olive oil evenly over the Tilapia strips.
  9. Bake uncovered 15 to 17 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
  10. While fish is baking, mix and blend all ingredients for the Secret Tilapia Chutney in a small bowl, and when you serve the fish, serve the chutney on the side of the fish on each plate with a lemon wedge.

Serve your Crunchy Tilapia with pinto beans, boiled new potatoes, Hush Puppies or corn bread, and lemon or coconut meringue pie for dessert. Serves 4

Aquaponics Systems MUST be Self Sustaining to Feed the Hungry

Aquaponics Systems MUST be Self Sustaining to Feed the Hungry 
– by Colle and Phyllis Davis

hands many colors2Please note: The majority of the food grown in Portable Farms® for commercial growing MUST be sold and not given away to those in need dontated so the aquaponics operation becomes self-sustaining and is able to pay for the ongoing costs of seeds, fish food, water, electrical power, labor, etc. 

Most charitable funding eventually shifts to be reallocated to other projects. 

Why? Because the focus of donor funding always shifts, over time, to various causes and if (for whatever reason) the funders or donors who are supplying the money for the ongoing costs of labor, water, electricity, etc., required to operate Portable Farms® decide to reallocate that funding to another cause, the aquaponics system will eventually fail. While good deeds are encouraged in the world, nothing (not even funding) lasts forever.

Facts about poverty and hunger in America according to Feeding America

Even in the world’s greatest food-producing nation, children and adults face poverty and hunger in every county across America. In 2017:

  • 40 million people struggle with hunger in the United States, including more than 12 million children.
  • A household that is food insecure has limited or uncertain access to enough food to support a healthy life.
  • Households with children were more likely to be food insecure than those without children
    58% of food-insecure households participated in at least one of the major federal food assistance program — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps); the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (often called WIC)

However, if food grown in Portable Farms® is SOLD (even at a reduced price) to pay the necessary operating expenses for the Portable Farm, the operation has a chance for long-term survival in that community.

There is a need and an allure of finding a way to provide fresh healthy food in our troubled world. is a necessity. However, the built-in problem is finding a way to accomplish this feat and create it as a sustainable business model.

The question we ask those who call us regarding the use of Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems in areas of charitable giving is, “How can you feed the ‘needy’ and make enough profit by selling food so the system pays for itself and has the funds to continue to operate over time?”

bizgroupThe answer to the question of feeding the hungry is vital to know because like any successful business or enterprise, there are ongoing costs that must be paid or even the best-intentions will eventually fail.

No foundation,grant, government agency, corporate sp on sponsorship or individual contribution can continue to fund an operation forever and ever and ever. At some point, their priorities change or they are no longer able to ‘give’ and that funding ends.

please give ladyA different approach would be to have the installation operated by paid workers and using some of the food that is grown (fish and vegetables) be given to local food banks or other charity-distribution organizations (soup kitchens, shelters, etc.), and selling the rest to local food markets in the area, or you can sell the rest of the food at greatly reduced (lower) prices to make sure the installation at least breaks even and can continue to operate.

As a business model commercial aquaponics does not appear to be an ideal solution for urban food deserts and feeding the needy. But wait, there may be some structure that may work.

In inner cities with large populations, a professionally operated commercial aquaponics system could sell the produce locally and fulfill the mandates of producing food locally and feeding the hungry. Here is one possibility:

Working with an investor, foundation, charity or community group to fund the initial capital cost of the installation of a commercial aquaponics system and instead of focusing on the high-end restaurants, resort hotels, casinos, upscale markets, hospitals and prisons, focus instead on selling to the locals in the community. The locals can pay the going prices for the produce and the owners can realize a profit because the systems produce food very inexpensively and there are no transportation costs. If those who purchase the food are willing to donate some of the food they purchase back to those in need as a charitable contribution, it benefits everyone in the community.

Commercial aquaponics installations are ‘front end capital loaded,’ meaning that the initial cost is mostly in the building of the installation. The ongoing and operational expenses are very reasonable and easily covered from revenue.

One of the most compelling facets of the Portable Farms Aquaponics System is that it starts producing food and a cash flow within four to five weeks after completion.A win: win is in order here. The ROI (return on investment) may get stretched out a bit longer than a typical ‘for profit venture,’ but the locals will have fresh, locally grown, pesticide free food that they can enjoy and at the same time, they have an opportunity to give back to their community. Expansion can also be funded by the cash flow from the commercial installation.

Carbon Neutral and Pesticide-Free Food Production

Carbon Neutral and Pesticide-Free Food Production 
By Colle and Phyllis Davis

Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems is a carbon neutral and pesticide-free food production facility designed to use readily available off-the-shelf equipment and materials to grow healthy green vegetables including tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers to raise your fish.

PFAS LLC’s goal is to provide our customers with the information and specialized components for year around production of vegetables and fresh fish without any outside energy (from off your property) involved. This carbon neutral system includes the use of solar, wood heat and geothermal energy and very careful planning. A complete solar-powered aquaponics system helps you be one of the least energy impactful families in the world.

March 13, 2017 – Copenhagen, Striving To Be Carbon-Neutral: Part 1, The Economic Payoffs  – Copenhagen has already reduced its carbon emissions by more than 40 percent since 1990. Some 98 percent of all heating in the city is done by energy-efficient district heating. “You won’t find any chimneys on the roofs, because you don’t find any individual heating in houses or flats,” Kabell explained.

Having your food production system in place makes you a powerful voice in your community because you are reducing stress on the environment and showing others how they can also live socially conscious and productive lives.

Families enjoy working together in aquaponics to plant and harvest the food, feed the fish and learn the natural process for the cycle of life that aquaponics offers. People of all ages can operate an aquaponics system with a few simple tasks that require only minutes per day of fun and interesting work.

Colle Davis, Lead Inventor, Portable Farms Aquaponics Systems

A personal note from Colle Davis, Lead Inventor, Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems:

“PFAS LLC is happy with the success of our online Portable Farms Aquaponics Systems Course©. After satisfactory completion of our online course, we ship the Portable Farms® Kit to our students so they can build their own Portable Farm.  Most students complete this online course in about twelve hours. It’s self-paced, and you have one year to complete the course. Many families install a backyard aquaponics system over a weekend assuming they have some basic skills for home repair and have access to repair tools.

We’ve sold our Portable Farms® to families and groups in fifty US States, ten Canadian Provinces and to people in twenty countries (as of April 3, 2017).

Before offering the Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems to the public in June 2008, I spent over 40 years working on and refining the idea that somehow a family or small group of people could have their food provided by themselves and live wonderfully productive lives.

Portable Farms® are designed to be bullet-proof and automated enough to allow the owner to walk away and leave the system running for up to 2 days with no attention needed at all.” – Colle Davis, Lead Inventor, Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems

The following are possibilities that can be added to a Portable Farm to increase production or to reduce the energy requirements:

Solar: In the basic PFAS without supplemental lights, a 100-watt solar setup with MPPT and deep cycle battery will run a medium (up to 200 sg. ft.) Portable Farm. The basic solar-electrical system means the water will circulate, the air pumps will run continuously, and the heaters will keep the water at a reasonable temperature for the fish in the tank. You will need to size the solar much larger if you use grow lights of any kind.

LED or full spectrum fluorescent grow lights:  These are currently the most effective lighting system you can buy. The LED lights look weird, run hot and are expensive. The price is dropping fast, and that is making the other types of grow lights that produce much more heat quickly obsolete. The full spectrum fluorescent tubes are much less expensive, are nearly as effective and don’t last quite a long. We have had the best results with the fluorescent lights with four-tube fixtures.

Heating with wood: In any climate where the temperature remains below 60°F, you need to supplement the solar heating with a wood burning stove or another type of heat. Something as simple as a tiny cabin stove or as elaborate as a forced air, thermostatically controlled furnace. Using wood taken from the local area is incredibly effective recycling and yields amazing heat.

Geothermal energy is more expensive and complex to install, and there are many YouTube videos on how to install in a greenhouse. These are harder to adjust and will prevent your installation from freezing.

Wind power is a much trickier power source because of the storage problem with too much power at times. Heating water to use as a heat/power sink works well as does having a larger battery bank.

Each installation is different and starting with a climatically adapted structure to keep your plants and fish warm to guarantee aquaponics growing success. 80 to 85 degrees F is the ideal temperature range, but the plants still grow at temperatures from 60 degrees F to 100 degrees F but are optimally productive at the ideal temperature of 80 to 85 degrees F).

The use of 12-volt components is not as effective as using regular electrical components and an inverter to change the 12v power to 120 or 240v motors and heaters.

Here is one of our trade secrets: Keep your fish happy. The fish tanks in Portable Farms® Aquaponics are heated to a very pleasant 80 degrees F. Happy fish eat and poop and provide you with healthy plants.

Steam Powered Aquaponics (UGLY)

UGLY . . . BUT IT IS POSSIBLE: Steam Powered Aquaponics
–  By Colle and Phyllis Davis

Few people will EVER TRY Steam Powered Aquaponics, but IT IS POSSIBLE! YES, IT’S ALSO UGLY but it is possible. 

It is the awareness of the possibility that eventually moves us to make our lives more of what we want and less of the fear and insecurity that the media preaches.

Wrap your mind around this scenario: A heavily insulated building in the northern climes where there is plenty of wood to burn nearby. Basements are ideal. The building is equipped with grow lights and has an aquaponics system in place. Now the best part. No sun is necessary, no grid is necessary and no wind is necessary. Got it? How is that possible?The entire system consists of a wood fired boiler, a steam powered generator, a battery pack and voilà, steam powered aquaponics! The new level of security available to those in cold climates who have wood to burn and at least one neighbor they trust. More on this below.

Growing up in a cold climate and living in a house heated only with wood for many years gave me a deep understanding of the power of wood. Today the technology to convert wood to electricity is available, inexpensive and safe for home use. The trick is to size the components to the expected demand of the household and the aquaponics system.

Guidelines: The entire ‘load’ of the home during the daylight hours, plus the grow lights load, again this is daylight time, plus the tiny load required by the Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems. (Helpful hint here, the entire load for a single PFAS Module that can feed 8 people is an 18 watt small air pump that runs 24 hours a day and a 35 watt air pump that runs one to four hours per day.) Add up the figures and then size the battery pack to carry the house for two days.

Some of the most advanced systems are continuous feed and require only occasional attention. Some systems on YouTube are scary and dangerous

Some of the most advanced systems are continuous feed and require only occasional attention. Some systems on YouTube are scary and dangerous.

The more advanced and safe the system the easier it is to use and the more expensive it becomes. Choose wisely and live.

One of the most fascinating advantages of the steam powered aquaponics is you can go away for the weekend and not worry about it. The lights are on a timer and the main pump is on a timer, plus both can be 12volt components. Imagine the excitement of getting a trusted neighbor to stoke up the wood power every other day for an hour or so and to feed your fish so you can take a two-week vacation! That’s even better than solar powered aquaponics because your neighbor HAS to show up or they don’t get any veggies. LOL

Now the downside: You have the time, effort and energy required to build the system, then the cutting, hauling, splitting and storing the wood and convincing the spouse that your idea will actually work. The order presented here is probably backwards, but these all can be considered a downside at some level.

The upside: The most fantastic, unending array of locally grown, pesticide free food near your kitchen! The joy of knowing that no matter what happens, you will be warm, fed and can weather any storm. Very few people will indulge themselves in steam powered aquaponics, but lots of people will dream about it and how it COULD impact their lives.

 

 

 

Waist High Gardening for Boomers in Aquaponics

Waist High Gardening for Boomers in Aquaponics

Boomers enjoy gardening and aquaponics creates sustainability in their community! 
– by Colle and Phyllis Davis

baby booomer tomatoe

 

AQUAPONICS TO THE RESCUE. Most Baby Boomers enjoy gardening.

Many of us spent time on our grandparents farms during our childhoods and today, there is a major resurgence in back yard gardens today, but problems arise for Boomers are unable to stoop, bend or till soil.  Aquaponics is a great way to re-purpose an entire generation. The idea could even spread to other parts of the world and maybe all seniors and all people of any age or educational demographic could be seen as productive members of any society and all because of Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems.

According to About.com, senior’s deepest fears might surprise you: “The unpredictable cost of illness and healthcare is by far baby boomers’ biggest fear. They are three times more worried about a major illness (48%), their ability to pay for healthcare (53%) or winding up in a nursing home (48%), than about dying (17%).”

The Boomers are the largest group ever to reach retirement age and are now starting to do just that, retire. But, a very large percentage of these so called ‘Boomers’ are not prepared for retirement and are going to need help in their golden years. 

10,000 Baby Boomers a day turn 65 and that trend continues until 2030. Boomers are the best educated generation in history, we have had the most freedom and the most fun of any generation in history, we/are also one of the most creative generations in history (Internet and technology, science and medical contributions, transportation and distribution advantages), we are also in charge of building a large part of the world we live in today, but we have also suffered under the delusion that we would always be young, healthy and have unlimited energy forever. Silly people.

Time is finally getting to those of us in the Boomer demographic (those born between the years 1946 and 1964). We are getting older, our health is not as stable as it was and Boomers are looking for ways to reinvent themselves to stay busy and make a difference. After all, this talented group does have a huge reservoir of talents, skills, knowledge and contacts that society could use if only there was a way to harness their interests and they could profit from their efforts.

As Boomers lead quieter lives as they move into a ‘less productive’ stage in their lives, they still have valuable contributions to make to society in productive ways. They can form groups within compounds, er . . . retirement homes, and work together (which offers social interactions) to raise their own food and sell the surplus to pay for their room and board. After all, most Baby Boomers have had childhood experiences on a family or relative’s farm and we remember what ‘real food’ tasted like when it was harvested fresh and full of nutrients, so ‘fresh healthy food’ is a commonality among us.

The technology exists today (Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems) that can help the residents become very productive at raising their own food. These aquaponics systems are very easy to operate, mostly harvesting and planting at ‘waist high’ Grow Tables and a few of the younger and more active people in the group could be in charge of the regular maintenance routines of the equipment (a few minutes a day, at most). The Grow Tables and can be adapted even to those with disabilities or require wheel chair access.