More Aquaponics Videos; Barrelponics, Off Grid, and Strawberry Towers.

I've been interested in Aquaponics for a few years now, back in 2012 I posted a few videos that go over some of the basics of this incredible farming process. I figure it is about time to share a few more interesting videos I've found.

Off grid aquaponics. (or Barrelponics as this variety is often referred to.) In this video they refer to a website www.fastonline.org - they offer a manual, free to download with a ton of information on the barrelponics system. Definitely worth stopping by to download. It includes very detailed instructions for this type of system. My main concern with attempting something like this would be the type of plastic used and whether or not it would release any toxins into the water and possibly then into the food. (Something to consider.)




 Strawberry Towers for an Aquaponics System
 
I love the videos that don't just contain some guy vaguely explaining how he created whatever is sitting behind him, already built and beautiful. This video isn't long, but it does show how easy it is to build your own Strawberry Towers.



 Growing potatoes in an aquaponics setup - experimentation.
 
There's always a different way to get things done. Even if the end result isn't exactly what you intended, this video shows that sometimes it's worth running with an idea. You can always refine it later.



This video includes information on an indoor commercial aquaponics setup using a settling pond for fish waste. Fancy scmancy stuff, not just something you can whip up in your backyard for the sake of an experiment.
 

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Chicken Coop Designed with Hay Bales

This video gives you the basics on designing a chicken coop utilizing hay bales for insulation as well as allowing for easy maintenance.

Of course in my home town you can't have chickens within city limits, but should you be lucky enough to live somewhere this bylaw isn't in effect, you might find it interesting!


I know, this blog hasn't been active in quite a while. Life got a little bit busy. I'm not sure that I will be posting regularily or not, but I'm currently in Ecuador and there is just soooo much inspiration here.

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Aquaponics (Videos Included)

One of the facets of organic farming that I am most fascinated by is aquaponics. I'm not sure that there is a better or simpler way to grow large amounts of food in a small amount of space.

(This first video is just a brief summary of a DVD that gets into the nitty gritty - but it is still a great explanation of the basics!)

I think one of the more challenging parts might be finding a good source of organic fish food! Most people just tend to use whatever fish feed is readily available; but I would be hesitant to trust most sources without a great deal of research. I think the key would be to first choose your species and cultivate your own food that suits that species of fish. (A lot of fish feed contains corn; which as you may know, is more often than not genetically modified - and I doubt that many fish feed companies would bother purchasing organic corn!)

Tilapia are one of the most common fish grown in aquaponics; they can live off a diet of duckweed and apparently pretty much anything else including plants, worms, smaller fish, algae... no wonder they are one of the most preferred fish for aquaponics! (How nutritious your tilapia are is directly affected by what foods they eat!) Crazily enough I've never tried tilapia, but apparently they are one of the most mild fish out there.

I've watched about a million videos (teeeeny exaggeration) so far on aquaponics, fish ponds, and so on... I've only posted a fraction of them here; if anyone is interested let me know and I'll post some of the others that I enjoyed!

See you soon!

Photo via Kanu Hawaii

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Organic Books - Product of the Week

The following books are all from the Chapters website - (Which is handy if you are Canadian because they offer free shipping on orders over $25.) The first book deals with travelling and organic food, the second and third are little more scientific.


"This book is destined for vegetarians, vegans, and people who want to stay healthy by eating better foods obtained in compliance with the laws of nature. Although Paris is not yet a vegetarian haven like London or New York, vegetarianism is now booming here, as well as the use of organic foods in traditional restaurants. This is very good news ! Vegetarian Paris has now become Vegetarian and Organic Paris to include traditional French restaurants using organic products and being vegetarian-friendly. This year, I have added a "Read Me First" section in the book. Here, I have grouped information about what continues to be hard to find in Paris, including where to find wheatgrass juice, have an organic breakfast, eat without gluten, eat organic crepes, have organic Italian meals, have meals with many sprouted seeds, buy organic products with your Amex card, etc.

In addition, the section includes a useful list of the restaurants that no longer exist but continue to be mentioned on many websites. In the first chapter, "Restaurants", you will find addresses, telephone numbers, business hours and closest metro stations of Parisian restaurants. Also included are brief examples of meals proposed and price, the percentage of organically grown products used in the preparation of meals, the kind of restaurant (vegetarian, vegan, macrobiotic, vegetarian-friendly) and website addresses, when available. You will also find pictures of the restaurants listed. The second chapter lists organic and non-organic juice bars and soup bars and quality vegetarian (or vegetarian-friendly) snack bars. Included are the names, addresses, business hours, phone numbers, and closest metro stations, as well as examples of meals/juices/soups proposed with their prices and organic ingredients used.

The third chapter lists organic food shops with their names, addresses, business hours and phone numbers. When available, the number of seats for eating-in and websites are given. In the fourth chapter you will find listed the artesian wells still open to the public. Here you can get pure spring water for free, and chat with French people.

In the fifth and sixth chapters, you will find lists of the main organic bakeries in Paris and information about organic food open markets. At the end of the book is an English-French food dictionary to help you get what you really want. I hope that Vegetarian and Organic Paris will help you enjoy even more the City of Light. Bon voyage and bon appétit!"

VEGETARIAN AND ORGANIC PARIS



This book is currently 24% off!

"Organic gardening and farming with organic systems such as Biodynamic, Biointensive, Forest gardening, and more. Organic techniques such as Aquaponics, Companion planting, Intercropping, Multiple cropping, No-dig gardening, Xeriscaping, and much more. Organic pest and weed controls such as biological pest control, drip irrigation, dynamic accumulator, mulch, tillage and much more.Project Webster represents a new publishing paradigm, allowing disparate content sources to be curated into cohesive, relevant, and informative books. To date, this content has been curated from Wikipedia articles and images under Creative Commons licensing, although as Project Webster continues to increase in scope and dimension, more licensed and public domain content is being added. We believe books such as this represent a new and exciting lexicon in the sharing of human knowledge."


Organic Gardening & Farming Including Organic Systems, Techniques, Pest, & Weed Control


CURRENTLY 24% OFF

"This book begins by explaining the relationship between sustainability and the organic agriculture movements. It delves into the regulations and associations that monitor these products. It then explains how organic agriculture works and provides examples of some products.

Project Webster represents a new publishing paradigm, allowing disparate content sources to be curated into cohesive, relevant, and informative books. To date, this content has been curated from Wikipedia articles and images under Creative Commons licensing, although as Project Webster continues to increase in scope and dimension, more licensed and public domain content is being added. We believe books such as this represent a new and exciting lexicon in the sharing of human knowledge."

The Relationship Between Sustainability And The Organic Movement, And Products And Regulations Of The Organic Movement

Thanks for tuning in, see you Wednesday!

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A Few Little Tidbits on Organic Farming

I think the problem that a lot of people have with organic farming is the fact that you are required to be a little innovative; you need to think outside the box to solve the problems that non-organic farmers just pour chemicals onto!

I can't imagine a better solution for attracting the 'good bugs' than planting flowers! I challenge you to find a non-organic farm that looks half as good as the one in the video. Not only is the land healthy and the food they are growing good for you; but they have created a place that is good for the soul as well.

I'm not being all hokey-pokey when I say that; beautiful surroundings like that would be naturally calming! Can't go wrong!

Watching this video made me realize that I haven't actually talked about genetically modified foods or the whole Monsanto issue yet. I have a feeling that might be one of my more popular topics this year!


While checking out all these videos I found this one on free-range snail farming; unfortunately not organic however it made me realize just how many different types of farms there must be! ... When someone mentions farming, snails aren't exactly the first thing to come to mind...

I know, so many topics in one little post, I may have gotten a little distracted this morning! Hope you don't mind!

See you Monday!

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