Hello Everyone,
Our company is helping a farmer do a conversion on their farm over to aquaponics. We are trying to help them with the business plan and are wondering if there is a good place to go to find formulas on figuring potential yields and incomes. Is there a website to find this kind of help? Any advice is welcomed. Thanks in advance. ~Eric
update: just found the FPTool from Aquaponicsource thanks to the video section of the member area. Any other good ones to use as well?
I think Allen Pattillo has some advanced equations about area, yields, revenue.
@dap0005 @dapattillo are you here? Able to offer any guidance?
Hi Brian,
You can see what I have available currently in my dissertation at https://etd.auburn.edu/handle/10415/7618
Allen
Thank you @dapattillo … @Eric.bacdekfarms does any information in that paper help you?
The Cornell hydroponic lettuce handbook has some solid numbers on lettuce production.
I’m reading your dissertation. It is well done. However, reading this quote hurt my soul: " The high infrastructure cost, production costs, especially in controlled
environments, and complexity of system design and maintenance requires skilled labor
make aquaponics unsustainable economically."
As my daughter would say, “big sad.”
I’m interested in aquaponic urban farming, but the fact that so many of them fail is disconcerting.
While this is all true, this is all in an environment in which our economy does not force producers / consumers to internalize the enormous “hidden” costs of our modern large-scale industrialized agricultural system…
We are competing against growers that are trashing the planet and dumping costs into our future, so far we have some wins and some losses… but we’re fighting the good fight!
You really need to hire a consultant for those kinds of figures and projections. Thats kind of what they do.
Aquaponics is challenging as you are having to keep 3 separate organism types alive (bacteria/fungi, plants and fish) vs just 1 or 2 in hydroponics or soil growing.
Agree with you on the cost part. Unless aquaponics is well affordable for general population with desirable labor input to run and acceptable yield, it’s unlike to become popular enough to make a significant impact on environment restoration.
I also agree on the cost, but it will save a lot of money after start up. You will need less staff than in ground growing. I spend a lot of money paying people to weed and cultivate the crops. Also by going indoors you will have more consistent growth and longer season of growing. After 7 years of field farming we are switching over to aquaponics
While supporting local businesses is crucial, it’s important to acknowledge that purchasing everything made in America can come at a higher cost. Alternatively, opting for a complete aquaponics system from Vietnam would significantly reduce expenses. While I understand the significance of supporting local enterprises, the affordability of imported systems may justify their purchase when cost becomes a hindrance to establishing more aquaponics ventures.
While i agree that the cost of purchasing infrastructure locally in the US can increase costs. However, when done in the US it’s typically less environmentally degrading as the US holds manufacturers to higher standards than what is typically found overseas. While I cannot speak on the laws in Vietnam (forgive me for my ignorance), I would still prefer something that is made locally (less transportation) and held to higher regulations in order to be more sustainable even if it is more expensive. I think being as conscience about our inputs into aquaponics is important as we are promoting it as a sustainable system. Additionally, the more we can grow manufacturing in the US the cheaper it will become.
I would like to see tax credits or government incentives provided to aquaponic producers (similar to carbon offset or solar or electric vehicle tax credits) in the US in an effort to support a sustainable agriculture production technology.
I’d like to see tax credits, etc., too.
If I set up one or a few systems, buying hardware or a complete system in America is fine even the price is higher, but if I plan to install a lot, then the decision on where to by become harder. E.g., If I buy a full container of PC panels abroad, the cost is $6/sheet of 6 mm PC panel, and $13/sheet of 10 mm corrugated PC panel. If I buy everything including solar power associated items to build a lot of systems, where to buy makes a significant difference on the initial cost.
Definitely agree! That is just the way our global economy is set-up currently.
I think I would just like to see more transparency from imported goods into the US in terms of regulations for sustainable and moral manufacturing.
Speaking of revenue figures as an affiliate i have not had any of my ads posted since the new admins took over from Brian. Its obvious there is bias going on against people that have called out some of the current admins behavior or bad judgment in the past are being ignored despite paying there fair share in the association and being contributing members an issue i brought up months ago with the new management. Mind you I have been a member since Gena and Sylvia were the presidents of this assication long before and of the current admins even did aquaponics better yet tried to teach it. Just like when others used the admin position to push there own narrative its happening again. When will this be truly addressed in the bylaws? I have paid for an affiliate membership yet have not been featured in the news letter for months. What is it people are paying for with this subscription? Is this a scam or is symbiotic aquaponics just hijacking the club the same way other groups have tried to do because it very much looks like the later. Lets not forget some of there current workers have sent drug fueled tirades to multiple members of this association at 3 am. Its time we address some of the more systemic issues with the current management so this club actually survives there bad decisions. They already used the last conference as a free ad lets not repeat that same mistake again.
Again Im an affiliate who has sent 2 separate ads that have yet to be published in the news letter something i paid for that has not happened due to bias in the admins of this association when will this be addressed ? We need new board members to replace these obvious shills.
Symbiotic has had multiple failed heavy metal coas from customers more than any other single source its time we trust those who actually follow the science and not the shills just after your money. This has already cost the association alot of money with previous admis mismanagement.
Hey Steve,
I’ve asked you through multiple occasions to fill out our affiliate form so that we have relevant and up to date information from our affiliates - I have not received any information from you. The only affiliate shoutouts we are able to give are the ones that fill out the form. I’m sorry that you feel you have been misrepresented but it’s really a matter of lack of information on our end from you so that we can appropriately market your services as an affiliate.
I have filled it out twice that is a lie thanks for proving my point tho.
I’m looking at the affiliate form right now my friend and see no responses from you so not sure what the issue is here but have yet to receive anything from you. Just sent you the form via email. Please fill out ASAP and we will get you on the docket.
So they are petty and still dont understand that acting like garbage is not what this assiciation deserves so let me just copy and paste there own words this is from josh verbatum.
and i quote
" Speaking of revenue figures as an affiliate i have not had any of my ads posted since the new admins took over from Brian. Its obvious there is bias going on against people that have called out some of the current admins behavior or bad judgment in the past are being ignored despite paying there fair share in the association and being contributing members an issue i brought up months ago with the new management. Mind you I have been a member since Gena and Sylvia were the presidents of this assi…
Hey Steve, I’m considering flagging this post as spam/off-topic. Really unnecessary for you to put something like this on the community site whenever you know how to get in touch with me. Pretty disappointed to hear that you think somehow Symbiotic is taking over??? Your post does nothing to help the association and rubs me as a bit childish and mis-informed. If you feel that you no longer wish to be an affiliate than thats fine, your choice, sorry you feel as if you have been misrepresented."
Just so thers transparency this was PMed to me.