[Fruit of gods]

Hello all & as the post says "cracking site with lots of value.  Just though I would say hello before digging into the archies for many hours to come.  Other half already started throwing things at me as ive just jumped into the mobile world with a pocket laptop with, FOR THE FIRST TIME, quite a reasonable connection speed.  This has now meant that at any given opportunity or whenever a question keeps bugging me, out comes Lenny the laptop (other half named it spends a lot of time with us. No longer is the mobile the first gadget at hand.  Anyway, must stop divercefying.  Need to get digging round this site again. 
Right...
The point of this post was to look for anybody out their who either:-

A.  Join me on a project to explore aquaponics on a commercial basis with Sea life & high nitrogen based crops.
    The aim is to build a small test project and share all findings to refinethe process to explore high value/high yield and an organicproduce that can be driven, at little cost and using verfy similar equipment, both through the glass house and commercial sea food farmers.

B.  For any information that anybody has out there on organic farming, organic fertilisers, aeroponics, aquaponics and hydroponics.

In exchange my other half has over 10years exp in pig farming and crop testing and 25yrs exp in equestrian with own livery. We both were brought up on farms but I came from a small holding of 10 acres with 50 pigs a few cattle, goats but with the main operation being the hatching and rearing of game birds for shoots.  Everything from Ducks, geese through to Pheasents, partridge and quial.  I have spent the last 8 years  running a company that provides food grade
polythene grow films and packaging.  This has introduced me to many areas od horticulture as well as being able to develop films, tents, polytunnels as welll as pots, grow tubs and others for both the soil and soiless markets.

To stop waffling on and to get back to the point. I have been working on our own worm farm for the last 3-4 years and have now got a reasonable production of both worms and worm castings with the next stage being the ability to leach the worm tea out through drainage.
I am now in the process of starting 2 projects of an indoor and outdoor aquaponic setups with the first test crop being both Sage and the Tilapia fish.
Been doing a lot of research myself but now putting the process onto the ground and start getting more practical, now the weathers starting to come round.  All feed back is good and thanks in advance

p.s.  sorry for the spelling but am in the passenger seat of a 4x4 while bouncin round with the other half while she feeds the horses and boo's at me for being with Lenny D laptop.

cheers

[Hilarysmum]

Hi welcome, our laptop is called Bert!  He doesnt travel though; would get very car sick bouncing around in the back of a 4 x 4. 

[Rosemary]

Hi and welcome. Dan's laptop is called Mac and mine is called Dusty. Or maybe that's just what they are!

[doganjo]

I CANNOT believe supposedly sensible people have named their laptops

Ok, here's the names of my computers - Main computer is called "Trusty-most-of-the-time-HP", my bought three years ago on a whim laptop is called "I'll-fire-up-if-I-feel-like-it-and-you-don't-swear-at-me", and my given to me by my son-in-law because he is trying to convert me to Mac-ism is called "that-f(lipp)ing-mac-thingy-ma-jig-that-pleases-it's-bl(oom)y-self".  I also hope to purchase a mini laptop from my friend in Sweden who bought British ones and discovered that they don't have the Norwegian alphabet on them - it will be called "you-little-beauty-but-you-had-better-not-give-me-the-hassle-the-others-give-or-you'll-be-on-freecycle"

[Fluffywelshsheep]

hiya from fws in central scotland,
I was thinking about hydroponics but you need a bit of kit to get you started , so never did anything about it.

[Hilarysmum]

Probably showing my age as well as my ignorance but what are hydrophonics?  please

[Fluffywelshsheep]

growing plants in water with no soil
 simples   

thisiswhat wikies says http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics

[Hilarysmum]

When I do that they say its just waterlogged!!!!!

[Fruit of gods]

Lost my password so couldnt reply till now.

Anyway, Hydroponics is a way of growing plants without soil
It is often used by prize veg growers who grow the monster veg and by high production greenhouses etc etc (often in other countries apart from the UK.... Canada and US are very big into this.

Right, why whould you use hydro......It enables you to push the plant to its max potential while also being able to give a stable enviroment with the ability to fool the plant into longer growing or flowering.

Sage or basil can be grownviaq this method within weeks and lettuce wihtin 7days....

Now aeroponics works on a sim basis but uses high pressure jets to mist the water and nutrients straight onto both the roots as well as the leafs and yet again speeds up the growing cycle and if you use organic ferts as well as food grade buckets and equipment, it can be classed as an organic produce .....which leads me onto Aquaponics....

Aquaponics is the ability to grow both fish and plants within the same system.
This works on the basis that the fish poo feeds the plants as well as the bio products from the plants feedin the fish with the ability to see, from either the fish or the plants, if they arre happy and growing to the best potential...Once the enviroment is right...they fly. 

Now I have worked with all the above and have good exp on the aero and hydro but still learning and exploring the aqua side.

Now why would any of you be int in any of this...

Its the fastest way to grow good clean fresh veg any time of the year and be able to multi crop through the year rather than seasonal.

If youve ever had a hosepipe ban and have lots of veg and plants in your garden, you can tank (put a damp proof membrane down) your garden and greenhouse and pump the water through your pond or back into a resevoir that can be topped at anytime and also alows you to see how much water is being taken as to growth produced..

When yo9u have these systems working, you can hear the plants creaking and the growth in setup enviroment is explosive and constant with the oportunity to see which things the plants prefer and perform well on, or which ferts etc etc.

Anyway, thats an into
If you would like specific info for you own application, please feel free to ask..

Cheers all

Sy

[Hilarysmum]

Sounds fantastic. 

[Fruit of gods]

come try it

[welshdragon]

Here in North Wales we have hydroponic and aquaponic units.
We have an Open Day tomorrow Saturday 2nd May 2009 from 1-6pm -so if you are anywhere near come and visit!
We also run two day workshops - for all the details please visit www.herbsfromwales.co.uk
FWS - You do not have to buy kits - you can build your own system using bits and pieces around the place.

[pegusus pig]

I'd love to come and see what your doing tommorrow, i only live in llantristant so should be able to see you across the fields, Hopefully see you tomorrow. Emma.

[welshdragon]

Hi Emma,
Look forward to seeing you!
Be sure to make yourself known!
 :farmer:Rowena

[Lizmar]

I've seen this in action in the States - well to be honest in the Epcot Centre Disney!!! , but it was amazing.  I'd love to have a go, but water supply not great here in Ireland.  When it rains the well blocks up and when its dry, being on top of a hill I am the end of the chain for the supply so often don't get any at peek times.  What area would you need to start something on a very small scale? Could you do something 'mini' as a trial run so to speak?
I'd love to come to your open day, but a bit far, though only a ferry ride away.