Project Overview
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Agronomic: barley, rye, wheat
- Fruits: apples, apricots, berries (other), cherries, figs, grapes, citrus, melons, peaches, plums, berries (strawberries)
- Vegetables: asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, celery, cucurbits, eggplant, garlic, greens (leafy), leeks, onions, peas (culinary), peppers, radishes (culinary), tomatoes, brussel sprouts
- Additional Plants: herbs, native plants, ornamentals
- Animals: bees, bovine, poultry, swine, fish
- Animal Products: dairy
Practices
- Animal Production: feed/forage, free-range, manure management, grazing - multispecies, grazing - rotational
- Crop Production: food product quality/safety
- Education and Training: demonstration, farmer to farmer, workshop, youth education
- Energy: energy conservation/efficiency, energy use, solar energy
- Farm Business Management: new enterprise development, budgets/cost and returns, marketing management, agritourism
- Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity
- Pest Management: biological control
- Production Systems: holistic management, organic agriculture
- Soil Management: earthworms, organic matter, composting
- Sustainable Communities: local and regional food systems, new business opportunities, analysis of personal/family life, sustainability measures
Proposal summary:
A YEAR ROUND ORGANIC, LOW ENERGY USE, TILAPIA/VEGETABLE /FRUIT PRODUCTION SYSTEM UTILIZING ON-FARM INPUTS AND AN ON-FARM CUSTOMER BASE VIA AN EXISTING AGRI-TOURISM BUSINESS
Project objectives from proposal:
FULL CIRCLE AQUAPONICS DEMONSTRATION SITE is a refinement of a well researched system, customized for small production. Emphasizing self-reliance and sustainability through a closed system, we will show how the use of on-farm inputs for fish food (red wigglers, meal worms, black soldier fly larva and tank raised duckweed) as opposed to commercially processed fish pellets, utilizing the remains from fish processing to supplement the Red Wattle’s diet vs. commercial feed and recycling the garden/greenhouse waste via the vermicompost system will reduce expenditures. Additionally, sprouted grains, (wheat and barley) grown in the aquaponics system and excess plant materials will supplement the poultry and hog feed. Composted waste from the livestock will fertilize the duckweed tanks and outdoor gardens. Using a breeding colony of tilapia will eliminate the need for an outside source of fry (baby fish) to stock the tanks. Green technology to reduce utility costs will include passive solar heated water for radiant heating during winter months, hydro and geo-thermal cooling for the summer, solar fans for ventilation and solar voltaic panels to supplement the electrical needs of the system. A well insulated greenhouse will be built on site to house the aquaponics system.