The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Hamish on November 11, 2008, 03:23:51 am

Title: Hi from Down Under
Post by: Hamish on November 11, 2008, 03:23:51 am

Hi all,

Well where to begin?

Im a city boy who has decided to 'Go Bush' as they say here in Australia.

I currently live on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia - but have purchased approx 8 acres of land and an old farm house about 6 hours drive inland from here.

I have been growing my own food on the limited space available to me in my current living arrangement using an Aquaponic system. You can see my system here: http://www.aquaponicshq.com/forums/showthread.php?t=467 I am a moderator of the Aquaponics forum.

Aquapoincs is the growing of fish and veges in a closed loop system - usng very little water, no pesticides, small footprint and taking very little time.

I will move this system onto my land when I eventually move there - and it will give me room to expand :) plus room for a regular dirt vege garden and livestock.

Anyway - I am enjoying reading this smallholders forum.

Cheers,
Hamish  :cow:

Title: Re: Hi from Down Under
Post by: Hilarysmum on November 11, 2008, 10:45:33 am

Hi and welcome, sounds fascinating, would love to hear more.  Its been raining again, but the sun is shining now no lack of water here.  Hope you are having better weather.

Title: Re: Hi from Down Under
Post by: garden cottage on November 11, 2008, 05:25:46 pm

G'day hamish and welcome to  the forum ,interested to hear more on aquaponics mate............neil

Title: Re: Hi from Down Under
Post by: Rosemary on November 11, 2008, 08:03:33 pm

Hi, Hamish and welcome. We were in Queensland last summer - Cairns and Townsville and a wee place called Tineroo in the Atherton tablelands.

Good Scottish name, by the way!

Title: Re: Hi from Down Under
Post by: Hamish on November 11, 2008, 10:38:00 pm

Thanks for the welcome everyone.

Without wanting to divert people away from this lovely forum - the best place to find info on Aquaponics is the forum I moderate - www.aquaponicshq.com Here you will find a wealth of knowledge on how to grow fish for food and veges together. It really is an amazing way to produce food in a really small amount of space with little effort.

I have never grown food before setting up my aquaponics system but just the other day I harvested 9kg of tomatoes and made a huge batch of relish - 25 large jars!

That amazed me as I did nothing to care for the plants other than plant and stake them. No chemicals or pestisides. I know its the first food that has ever been grown where I live - which is a little town house. Similar I guess to an english terrace house with a small courtyard out the back. Not somewhere you would normally be able to grow much.

I have also harvested continuous supplies of cherry tomatoes, basil, italian parsley, chives, cucumbers, lettuce, strawberries, and beans.

You can set up an aquaponics system very cheaply from recycled materials. Many people use old bath tubs as the grow beds and IBC's or Megabins as the fish tanks. With the addition of a pump, some plumbing and some research you are on your way.

Cheers,
Hamish

Title: Re: Hi from Down Under
Post by: carole on November 12, 2008, 04:45:51 pm

Hi and welcome

Carole

Title: Re: Hi from Down Under
Post by: pigsatlesrues on November 12, 2008, 07:36:48 pm

A huge Bonjour from Normandy!!

Kate  :pig: