I just spoke with a customer of mine named Paul that owns 40 acres outside of Lovelock Nevada. He is constantly exploring alternative building methods, and sustainable living. Every time I speak with him on the phone he tells me about a cutting edge idea to help people build a home off the grid using alternative energy or alternative building materials.
Today he told me about aquaponics. I had never even heard of the term and then started doing some research at the sites he recommended such as http://www.friendlyaquaponics.com/ and http://www.aquaponics.net.au/.
Basically, aquaponics is a sustainable food production system that combines a traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment.
Aquaponic systems vary in size from small indoor or outdoor units to large commercial units, using the same technology. The systems usually contain fresh water, but salt water systems are plausible depending on the type of aquatic animal and which plants are used.
Aquaponic systems do not typically discharge or exchange water under normal operation, but instead recirculate and reuse water very effectively. This is fantastic in a desert environment! The system relies on the relationship between the animals and the plants to maintain a stable aquatic environment that experience a minimum of fluctuation in ambient nutrient and oxygen levels. Water is only added to replace water loss from absorption and transpiration by plants, evaporation into the air from surface water, overflow from the system from rainfall, and removal of biomass such as settled solid wastes from the system. As a result, aquaponics uses approximately 2% of the water that a conventionally irrigated farm requires for the same vegetable production.
Learn more about this new technology by simply googling aquaponics or visiting the sites above. Let me know if you have any experience with this type of self sustainable farming and the results you had using it.
