The Aquaponic Farmer : A Complete Guide to Building and Operating a Commercial Aquaponic System

"The Aquaponic Farmer is the only complete practical guide to understanding, constructing, and operating a family-farm scale commercial cold-water aquaponic system for raising trout and vegetables. It details a proven commercial Deep Water Culture system, providing step-by-step design, construction, and management principles, based on actual production numbers from a successful aquaponic farm in British Columbia." “The essential guide for people serious about setting up a commercial, cold-water aquaponic system.” —Dr. Daniel Baker, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Vancouver Island University Profitable cold-water fish and vegetable production. Join the aquaponic farming revolution! Built around a proven 120’ greenhouse system operable by one person, The Aquaponic Farmer is the game changer that distills vast experience and complete step-by-step guidance for starting and running a cold-water aquaponic farming business—raising fish and vegetables together commercially. Coverage includes: A primer on cold-water aquaponics Pros and cons of different systems Complete design and construction of a Deep Water Culture system Recommended and optional equipment and tools System management, standard operating procedures, and maintenance checklists Maximizing fish and veg production Strategies for successful sales and marketing of fish and plants. As the only comprehensive commercial cold-water resource, The Aquaponic Farmer is essential for farmers contemplating the aquaponics market, aquaponic gardeners looking to go commercial, and anyone focused on high quality food production. Aquaponic farming is the most promising innovation for a sustainable, profitable, localized food system. Until now, systems have largely focused on warm-water fish such as tilapia. A lack of reliable information for raising fish and vegetables in the cool climates of North America and Europe has been a major stumbling block. The Aquaponic Farmer is the toolkit you need. “Provides almost a step by step cookbook on all pertinent aspects of aquaponics and is based upon the authors’ experiences from their own successful farm.” —Michael B. Timmons, PhD & PE, Professor Biological & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University Profitable cold-water fish and vegetable production. Join the aquaponic farming revolution! Built around a proven 120' greenhouse system operable by one person, The Aquaponic Farmer is the game changer that distills vast experience and complete step-by-step guidance for starting and running a cold-water aquaponic farming business—raising fish and vegetables together commercially. Coverage includes: A primer on cold-water aquaponics Pros and cons of different systems Complete design and construction of a Deep Water Culture system Recommended and optional equipment and tools System management, standard operating procedures, and maintenance checklists Maximizing fish and veg production Strategies for successful sales and marketing of fish and plants. As the only comprehensive commercial cold-water resource, The Aquaponic Farmer is essential for farmers contemplating the aquaponics market, aquaponic gardeners looking to go commercial, and anyone focused on high quality food production. Aquaponic farming is the most promising innovation for a sustainable, profitable, localized food system. Until now, systems have largely focussed on warm-water fish such as tilapia. A lack of reliable information for raising fish and vegetables in the cool climates of North America and Europe has been a major stumbling block. The Aquaponic Farmer is the toolkit you need. Aquaponic farming--raising fish and vegetables together commercially--is the most promising innovation for a sustainable, profitable, localized food system. Until now, systems have largely focused on warm-water fish such as tilapia. A lack of reliable information for raising fish and vegetables in the cool climates of North America and Europe has been a major stumbling block. The Aquaponic Farmer is the game changer. Built around a proven 120-foot greenhouse system operable by one person, the book distills vast experience and complete step-by- step guidance for starting and running a cold-water aquaponics business. Coverage includes: A primer on cold-water aquaponics; Pros and cons of different systems; Complete design and construction of a Deep Water Culture system; Recommended and optional equipment and tools; System management, standard operating procedures, and maintenance checklists; Maximizing fish and veg production; Strategies for successful sales and marketing of fish and plants. As the only comprehensive commercial cold-water resource, The Aquaponic Farmer is essential for farmers contemplating the aquaponics market, aquaponics gardeners looking to go commercial, and anyone focused on high quality food production.--Provided by publisher Built around a proven 120' greenhouse system operable by one person, the book distills vast experience and complete step-by-step guidance for starting and running a cold-water aquaponics business. Coverage includes a primer on cold-water aquaponics; pros and cons of different systems; complete design and construction of a deep water culture system; recommended and optional equipment and tools; system management, standard operating procedures, and maintenance checklists; maximizing fish and vegetable production; and strategies for successful sales and marketing of fish and plants. As the only comprehensive commercial cold-water resource, The Aquaponic Farmer is essential for farmers contemplating the aquaponics market, aquaponic gardeners looking to go commercial, and anyone focused on sustainability, localization, or high-quality food production.--COVER. Preface : A world without weeds Introduction : The state of the world Chapter 1. What is aquaponics? Chapter 2. The RCA system Chapter 3. Principles of system design Chapter 4. Constructing the RCA system Chapter 5. Tools of the trade Chapter 6. Managing the ecosystem Chapter 7. Cycling the system Chapter 8. Raising fish Chapter 9. Plant production Chapter 10. Plant diseases and pests Chapter 11. Standard operating procedures and protocols Chapter 12. Marketing and sales Chapter 13. Creating a business plan. The Aquaponic Farmer is a complete practical guide to understanding, constructing, and operating a family-farm scale commercial cold-water aquaponic system for raising trout and vegetables. It details a commercial Deep Water Culture system, with step-by-step design, construction, and management principles, based on actual production numbers.