Forum Post: Microponics The Next Step In Backyard Home Food Production
Posted 11 years ago on April 21, 2013, 1:50 p.m. EST by quantumystic
(1710)
from Memphis, TN
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Microponics is integration of fish, plants and micro-livestock along with the feed for the fish and micro-livestock. This is achieved through the cultivation of worms, black soldier fly larvae, azzola, and duck weed and the use of organic waste materials. By integrating micro-livestock as compact and easy to manage such as quail and/or rabbits even an individual with little more than a patio a couple of hutches and small aquaponics system one can produce a substantial amount of their nutritional needs. Producing nutritionally dense foods from fish/shellfish/rabbits/quail eggs and meat/fresh vegetables and fruits. Bringing these techniques to impoverished people and those seeking fresh healthy food the world over along with the dissemination of autonomous building techniques is the way to really move this world forward in a sustainable manner.
You'll be late for work. Guaranteed.
you may stop going to work.
Key word being "may".
You are describing a system that's expensive to set up in the first place.
As well as extremely labor intensive to maintain, and in and around cities there's always questions about the legality of keeping livestock.of any sort.
Then there's the questions of health care, child rearing, heating and cooling a home, maintenance of the premises, the farm, transportation and oh, so many more things..
Yeah, most of us will still need a job.
it is expensive to set up? only if you insist on it being so. you can build system on the cheap. i have seen rabbit and quail hutches built for under 20$ i have seen aquaponic systems built for about the same. labor intensive? dude it couldn't be easier. it is harder to shop after work and get out of the store trust me. well you can always claim your rabbits, guinea pigs, or quail are pets. sounds to me like you are looking for excuses you lazy fuck.
Already down to name calling.
I knew that's what this was for.
Prove yourself.
Come to Detroit and make it happen.
I dare ya to put your claims in service..
detroit doesn't scare me buddy i am from ny and i live in memphis.
I didn't say you were. I merely asked for proof of concept, and Detroit is under fire from the anti democratic forces.
Up to 40% of the U.S. vegetable production during WWll was provided by victory gardens.
The price of home canning was much, much lower in those days too.
The corporations have priced that out of the market these days if only by maintaining low wages that force more work hours for the same "comfort levels".
The World has changed in many ways since the 40s. Too many to talk about here.
Not one reason you've mentioned will prevent people from growing a significant part of their own food supply.
You can also save a lot of money by forming local buying groups, and purchasing produce directly from growers in bulk. Buying fruit and veg in season, rather than expecting to buy "fresh" all year round is another plus for the pocket, and carbon footprint of the product. I dehydrate a lot of different foods, and seal in containers for a year or more.
Plenty of ways to avoid corporate food giants taking over your tucker.
Zoning regulations and full time jobs take care of that.
Not to mention, not everyone possesses a "green thumb".
It would seem that you think the world is flat, and unchanging.
It's not.
Urban agriculture is alive in Detroit! Check it out.
http://detroitagriculture.net/urban-garden-programs/
That's nice, but it has nothing to do with the OP, and so far it doesn't come close to feeding some 700,000+ people.
You're right. The system described probably can not sustain you. You will need other sources for food. And if you're trying to live off the grid this is not the way.However, it could be a good education.
A part-time job, just to cover expenses.
Supplying even half of our food requirements, while avoiding pesticide residues, GMO risks, the transport footprint of commercial foods, is well worthwhile.
Not to mention cutting the profits of mega-corps, who are trying to commodicise our entire food industry.
That might fly in Oz, but here in the BIG city, $8 an hour part time, won't pay the gas to get back and forth from said part time job, let alone pay property taxes, plus you've completely ignored the lions share of all the rest of the things I mentioned.
I've lived in some extreme climates, and not paid a dime to heat or cool the home. Designing your dwelling to suit the climate is part of the plan. And who said you need to stay in the BIG City? I wouldn't wish that life on my enemies.
Like I said. It might fly in Oz.
I live in a big city, and at this point, I cannot leave, for reason that are not up for debate.
Besides, there's a lot of us who like it here. I wouldn't wish that live off the grid crap on anyone either. So there!
And then there's that other pesky fact......Most of us can't design and build our own dwellings.
well there you go you don't wish to change your lifestyle. really people like you are the problem. guess what buddy it ain't all about you. actually you don't matter at all.
Good to know, I guess you don't matter either.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
---Firesign Theater---
"Where's your school spirit Porgy?"
Firesign Theatre
~Odin~
" I'm Losing status at my high school"
---Mothers of Invention---
~Fire Sign Theatre~
The answer to the above was; In the back seat, do you want a snort?
Next scene
Mom & dad sitting at the breakfast table waiting for Porgy
Mom calling out Porgy...Porgy!
Sounds of Porgy & the maid breathing heavily upstairs
Dad: Boy that son of mine
Mom: He's not your son Fred
Dad: Quit torturing me Ethel!.....lol
FST was out of Philly, weren't they shooz? I remember listening to them on WMMR FM when we used to have these huge overnight parties in the NJ Pine Barrens, and follow them up with swimming in the cedar creek at the cranberry bog the next morning
Today it is far more likely that kids would be in jail for doing what we did....having fun, that is
~Odin~
" I'm not high on false drugs!
I'm high on the real thing!
Powerful gasoline, a clean windshield and a shoe shine.
Over."
---Firesign Theater---
The entire Georgie Tirebiter skit is hilarious, even today.
Once upon a time we used to hitchhike up to Caseville, at the tip of the thumb, for holidays in the sun and on the beach.
Now a days, you can get arrested for sticking your thumb out along any road at all.
A friend put a whole lot of Fire Sign Theatre on cds for me, but i still have to listen to them
I hitch-hiked a lot when I was a kid
One time, maybe 1974, my brother-in-law who i lent my VW to while his car was in the shop dropped me off outside of Philly on I-76 or I-80 after we had lunch
From there, i hitched to San Francisco where I had a cousin, then flew to Australia....then hiched all around there (except the far west & Perth)....then flew to New Zealand & then back to SF, and hitched back home to NJ
The lonliest I felt is when he dropped me off outside of Philly, after that it was all good having met so many neat people
~Odin~
well i think if i can bring concepts like microponics to impoverished peoples and help them help themselves i will matter to someone so if you don't like it then hey fuck you, now put a quarter in your ass cause you played yourself.
Are you related to hchc?
He likes to insult rather than explain anything too.
Here's the thing: Without proof of concept this stuff just sounds like another infomercial, another QVC money seperater, or an add in the back pages of a magazine.
Show us where it's worked on a large scale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV9CCxdkOng 1 MILLION pounds of Food on 3 acres. 10,000 fish 500 yards compost
TEDxWarwick - Charlie Price - Aquaponics - Getting More out of Less http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nIL9hWW3-Q
Micro Farm "GROW" Backyard Farm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXCDSZfyZoY
Nice.
Now build one in Detroit, Pittsburg, or even Akron.
yes to build a commercial facility it costs money but not anymore than the start up costs for any other business. typically 20-50k.
got 20-50k?
Nope.
So it's like I said in the first place, it costs a lot more in money and labor than they are letting on.
It's not rocket science.
But if you're happy in an inner-city environment, then microponics sounds like something that should interest you.
I guess you've never seen a list of building codes, not the cost of permits either.
It might as well be rocket science.
Yep, you'll need a job and a good paying job at that.
and then there's winter.
LOL. I'm a builder.
Plenty of experience with the red-tape side of construction.
You seem to be negative about anything suggested here, so I'll leave you to your cold, inner-city existence.
I do know that there'd be an urban garden organisation where-ever you reside, so I'll leave it up to you decide if you want some control over how your food is produced.
he is a negative nancy.
Good. Put your expertize to work.
The city of Detroit has enough vacant lots to fit Paris inside of.
You would be a hero, if you are good as you claim, micro farms and all.
I want to see it large scale action.
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As soon as my download is complete, I know I'll be gone until Tuesday.
I hope you have a nice net free Monday.
It's not like I don't have enough to do around here.............:)
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Looks like we're going to have a couple more days in the upper 40s next week, and then spring starts in earnest.
I can't wait to dust off my camera and head to the park.
I'd be on the "no-fly" list for sure.
You'd have to arrange a boat ride.
Any excuse to avoid a challenge.
There's a lot of other places around to test your meddle.
New Guinea, is a bit closer to your home. They could use your help too. You sound like a home building magician.
I'm off to the Kimberley, where the fishing is world class, and so are the beaches.
We used to have that around here, until they either privatized or poisoned everything.
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you can even integrate a miniature goat for dairy production.
It only takes a small fishtank to provide fertiliser for a patio food garden. The detritus from gravel filters makes the best fertz I've ever used. You can also set up a worm farm to break down all of your food scraps (not citrus, or fatty meat) to make worm-wee, which is another great organic fertz. The worm farm takes up the same area as one lazy chair, and does not smell at all, if you feed it right.
Why no citrus?
The skin of all citrus contains volatile (flammable) oils that poison the worm farm. The Japanese were experimenting with citrus oil as a fuel source. They ran a vehicle around this country running on citrus oil.
Try squeezing an orange peel over an open flame and you'll see what I mean. The worms don't eat it.
Thanks Builder! I was just about to pack it in for the night and I just caught that. Good to know!
Yeah, it's no good in the compost either, for the same reason.
One other tip to do with citrus, if you just use the juice, you miss out on vitamin P and K which is found in the pith (white bit inside the skin) and these vitamins are essential to helping you absorb all the vitamin C and A in the juice.
Had no idea. Thanks.
No worries. Imagine how many orange peels the U.S. generates every day?
That OJ is pretty much a staple.