1h|s |s an ebook for beg|nn|ng aquapon|c growers |nterested
|n |arge or commerc|a| sca|e systems.
ln Lhls ebook l wlll deLall problems LhaL l have encounLered agaln and agaln, boLh along my own learnlng curve as well as wlLh sysLems LhaL l'm called ln Lo help bulld or x. 1hese mlsLakes represenL m||||ons of do||ars ln losL lnvesLmenLs and many falled aquaponlc venLures. lL ls lmporLanL Lo conslder a|| of Lhese mlsLakes as you embark on your own aquaponlc or small-farm advenLure. A|though th|s ebook |s focused on aquapon|c producers, some of the m|stakes can be |essons for sma|| farms and those |ook|ng to start farms as we||. So heed my advlce and save yourself some ume, money and hearLache. lf you're sull confused by Lhe end of lL, shooL us an emall and we'd be happy Lo Lry and help you gure your problem ouL. IS THIS EBOOK RIGHT FOR ME? Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers Nate Storey 2013 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nate Storey, Ph.D The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers Nate Storey earned his Ph.D from the University of Wyoming in Agronomy researching aquaponic production and novel produce sales and distribution models. Nate, along with his business partner Paul Bennick operate Bright Agrotech, one of the only independent and profitable aquaponic farms in the world in Laramie, Wyoming. To do this they use ZipGrow Towers, developed as part of Nates Ph.D. research. Nate continues to research the use of tower production techniques to increase productivity and reduce costs for hydroponic and aquaponic growers. Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 BRIGHT AGROTECH The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers http://www.youtube.com/user/BrightAgrotechLLC Check out our helpful aquaponics, vertical farming and soil agriculture videos on YouTube. !"# %#&'#( )* +#(,-&. /01&23*)-4 5 %)6# 7&.#4 8)49():1,3* 8rlghL AgroLech ls passlonaLe abouL growlng healLhy, susLalnable food for our local communlLy and helplng small farmers everywhere do Lhe same. Cne of our blggesL goals ls Lo shrlnk Lhe dlsLance beLween farm & plaLe for Lhe healLh of our chlldren, our communlues and our counLry. It's nme to take back our hea|th w|th hea|th|er, more nutr|ent-dense produce! We've seen Lhe farms of our famllles, frlends and nelghbors suer from droughL and nanclal lssues. We're also all Loo famlllar wlLh our currenL cenLrallzed, fossll-fuel dependenL food sysLem and nuLrlenL-declenL food lL produces. 1hese unsusLalnable farmlng pracuces glve us a bleak plcLure of Lhe fuLure. Cne we're noL comforLable knowlng our chlldren wlll lnherlL. 1hat's why we're str|v|ng to create a beuer, br|ghter and hea|th|er future. Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 The Top 10 Mistakes The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers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hare This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 Crowers make many mlsLakes- some of whlch are relaLed. MosL orlglnaLe ln lnexperlence, elLher wlLh Lhe sysLems, or wlLh Lhe markeLs. LlLher of these can be fata| for new buslnesses. Many oLher beglnnlng growers fall prey Lo sysLem deslgners who peddle decades old Lechnology wlLh poor Lrack records. 1hese growers enacL Lhe same buslness plan as dozens of oLher small buslnesses and expecL dlerenL resulLs - Lhe denluon of enLrepreneurlal lnsanlLy. 1hey all fall sooner or laLer, and ln Lhe lasL seven years as a commerclal aquaponlc grower, l've seen dozens come and go, !"" $%&' (%))*+ (,-)*&. !/- "!+)*+ 0!+1*&. &'!/ 2,+ 3204!/5. U"EA 9"#*A &(# ># 4,.. &(31*'V /*'A *39 W149 &(31*'A :19 2(342#()*? &*' ?(3>)*? 31( &01&23*)- B&(@ #6#(E'&EV So here they are, the 1C 1LN m|stakes that aquapon|c growers make... lor one, we've been forLunaLe enough Lo make some of Lhese mlsLakes when Lhe sLakes were small. U#D6# &.43 :##* B3(91*&9# #*31?" *39 93 "&6# & :)? :1'?#9X 1haL's rlghL. 8lg budgeLs hurL beglnnlng aquaponlc growers. 8y sLarung wlLh noLhlng, we've been able Lo grow lnLo our markeL slowly, explore demand organlcally, and learn wlLh low rlsk, abouL whaL crops Lo grow and how Lo sell Lhem. 1here may be a ume when blg money and blg moves are lmporLanL, buL Lhey're almosL always aer you've had ume Lo explore and experlence your local markeL. To Err is Human... The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers Speaking From Experience... Y!"&9D4 ()?"9X G)? :1'?#94 "1(9 :#?)**)*? &01&23*)- ?(3>#(4XZ Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 1hls ls more of a mlsLake of lnexperlence Lhan anyLhlng else. Many growers haven'L grown before (aL leasL on a large scale), Lherefore, Lhey don'L Lhlnk abouL work ow and emclency. 1haL ls, beglnnlng growers don'L eecuvely use Lhelr avallable space Lo lncrease labor emclency and lower labor cosLs ln general. kemember: |abor |s the |argest var|ab|e cost of producnon on any farm - aquapon|c or otherw|se! 8ecause of Lhls, Lhey deslgn sysLems LhaL are hard Lo harvesL, requlre loLs of Lransplanung and Lendlng work, or are dlmculL Lo conLrol pesLs on. ln Lhe worsL sysLems l've seen, access Lo lmporLanL sysLem componenLs ls llmlLed, maklng Lhe space noL only dlmculL Lo use, buL dangerous Lo use! LANNING AnLAD WILL SAVL CU MAN nLADACnLS 1he cure for Lhls mlsLake ls Lo Lhlnk carefully from Lhe sLarL abouL how you wlll use your sysLem, how you wlll harvesL sh and produce allke, and how you can plan your sysLem from Lhe sLarL Lo be user frlendly and emclenL. Conslder all of your varlables, from growlng needs (e.g. llghL, waLer, nuLrlenLs, pesLs, eLc.) Lo user needs (access, convenlence, auLomauon, redundancy, eLc.) from Lhe sLarL, and only sLarL Lo deslgn your sysLem aer you've serlously consldered Lhese varlables. 1alklng Lo esLabllshed growers and Lourlng Lhelr sysLem deslgns can be a greaL help as well. 8e sure Lo ask quesuons and nd ouL whaL Lhey would do dlerenLly lf deslgnlng Lhelr sysLems Loday. Cur sysLem deslgns Lake lnLo accounL all of Lhese varlables, and use ZlpCrow 1M 1owers boLh Lo lncrease producuvlLy, buL also Lo help wlLh access, reduce our posL-harvesL and labor cosLs and varlous markeung cosLs. So, before you sLarL deslgnlng, make a llsL of all your varlables and be sure you lncorporaLe each lnLo your sysLem's deslgn. ZipGrow TM Towers not only maximize space, they allow for easier accessibility, maintenance & transportation /-,3* [9#@\ ]&N# & .)49 3B /%% 3B E31( 6&()&:.#4X The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers 1 Growers design and implement unusable, or hard to use farms Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 SomeLhlng LhaL seems so slmple ls surprlslngly very Lrlcky lf we look aL Lhe number of sh-kllls, planL dlsease ouLbreaks and dead sysLems ouL Lhere. kemember: aquapon|c producnon |s not someth|ng that you can [ust "w|ng," especlally wlLh ra sysLems where everyLhlng depends on clrculauon. 1hls ls a fundamenLal problem wlLh many sysLems, and oen lL's dlsgulsed as someLhlng else. Growers dont design systems with adequate circulation, solids removal or biological surface area (BSA) kC8LLMS WI1n CCk CIkCULA1ICN SysLems wlLh poor clrculauon wlll oen be prone Lo planL and sh dlsease ouLbreaks, faclllLaLed by planL and sh sLress from poor dlssolved oxygen conLenL and/or ammonla accumulauon. 1hls ls caused by lack of nlLrlcauon (elLher by poor dellvery of ammonla rlch waLers Lo nlLrlcauon slLes/ blolLers, or by lack of oxygen for aeroblc nlLrlfylng bacLerla). lL can also be caused by oxygen consumpuon by planLs, sh, and mlcrobes wlLh lnadequaLe replenlshmenL. 1hls problem can be furLher compllcaLed wlLh poor clrculauon pauerns or pockeLs" ln sysLems where sollds and wasLe accumulaLe, consumlng oxygen as lL decomposes. 1nL IMCk1ANCL CI 8SA IN CUk MLDIA 1hese clrculauon, sollds removal, and blologlcal surface area (8SA) lssues can be prevenLed by beuer undersLandlng Lhe role of [grow] medla and by uslng a medla based sysLem where lL's easy Lo malnLaln aeroblc condluons. We use ZlpCrow 1M 1owers (wlLh speclally deslgned MaLrlx Medla) for Lhls purpose, and oLhers do [usL ne uslng medla beds. Whlle ZlpCrow 1M 1owers are really Lhe only reallsuc medla based aquaponlc Lechnlque for commerclal growers, boLh Lowers and medla beds lllusLraLe Lhe beneLs of hlgh raLes of oxygen exchange and hlgh blologlcal surface area. (6** ! 7%-*2 2/ 8%..2"7*- 9:5)*/ ;<=<) !"# @3(# G7/ & ?(3>#( -&* "&6# )* 9"#)( &01&23*)- 4E49#@A 9"# :#^#(A &*' 32#(&,*? & ")?"_ G7/ 4E49#@ )4 @1-" #&4)#( )* 9"# .3*? (1*. Pavlng a very hlgh rauo of 8SA Lo nlLrogen lnpuL resulLs ln greaL blolLrauon, sollds breakdown and mlnerallzauon. /-,3* [9#@\ !")*N 49(3*?.E &:319 E31( ?(3> @#')&X An aquapon|cs system needs to supp|y p|ants and hsh w|th two th|ngs they both need to surv|ve and our|sh: 2 1) Cxygen r|ch water 2) A method for remov|ng tox|c substances]waste The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 Growers start with poor quality water 3 The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers GCCD WA1Lk IS kL As wlLh all farmlng and gardenlng, waLer ls essenual! Many growers embarklng on [ourneys lnLo aquaponlcs sLarL wlLh baslc (hlgh pP) waLer or waLer conLalnlng carbonaLes LhaL prevenL Lhe pP of Lhe sysLem from dropplng for qulLe some ume. 8ecause of Lhls, growers have a hard ume gemng Lhelr sysLem down lnLo Lhe pP range where mosL crops planLs are mosL producuve. lundamenLally, Lhls ls a waLer quallLy problem LhaL can be correcLed wlLh an 8C lLer, however, mosL growers never correcL Lhls lssue because Lhey Lhlnk LhaL pP ranges above 7.0 are perfecLly ne for commerclal sysLems. 1hls ls a common problem LhaL ls compllcaLed by Lradluonal aquaponlc Lhlnklng and many aquaponlc experLs" who, Lo Lhls day, wlll clalm LhaL 7+ pP ranges are greaL for commerclal sysLems. LeL me correcL Lhls for you. !"# 2(32#( 2` B3( & 2(3'1-,6# -3@@#(-)&. 4E49#@ >).. 9E2)-&..E :# )* 9"# (&*?# 3B LXT_LXIX 1radluonally, aquaponlc sysLems ran aL much hlgher pP ranges, and Lhls pracuce sull perpeLuaLes Loday. !")4 )4 1^#( *3*4#*4#. 1he Lhlnklng behlnd Lhls rule" ls LhaL nlLrlcauon wlll slow or crash aL lower pP values. 1hls ls paLenLly false and based on a number of aquaculLure sLudles LhaL dldn'L Lake Lhe requlslLe ume Lo lower pP slowly and by lncremenLs, allowlng Lhe nlLrlfylng bacLerla Lo adapL and Lhe bacLerlal populauon ecology Lo change. Acld solls around Lhe world have healLhy populauons of nlLrlfylng bacLerla LhaL operaLe ln much lower pP ranges Lhan Lhls, wlLh hlgh emclency. Wn IS LCW pn LkILC1L IINL? 1here, now LhaL l've sald my plece, l'll explaln why lL's lmporLanL. Many planL nuLrlenLs are only avallable Lo Lhe planL for upLake wlLhln a cerLaln pP range. CuLslde of LhaL range, Lhe planLs have a dlmculL ume up-Laklng LhaL nuLrlenL, or are slmply unable Lo Lake lL up aL all. 1hls means LhaL ouLslde of LhaL pP range, planLs begln Lo show nuLrlenL declencles even Lhough LhaL nuLrlenL ls avallable ln Lhe soluuon! 1hls can be very frusLraung for aquaponlc growers and resulLs ln lower ylelds, planL sLress, dlsease and pesL suscepublllLy and unsalable/blemlshed crops. 8y Lhe ume Lhese declencles rear Lhelr ugly heads, Lhe grower ls oen Loo laLe, and addlng mlcronuLrlenLs or aclds are oen an lneecuve and poor use of resources. Instead, growers shou|d concentrate on |ntroduc|ng h|gh-qua||ty water on the front end. 1hls wlll allow pP Lo be easlly manlpulaLed ln Lhe sysLem, and makes sysLem acldlcauon wlLh nlLrlcauon posslble from Lhe sLarL. /-,3* [9#@\ a3*-#*9(&9# 3* )*9(3'1-)*? ")?"_ 01&.)9E >&9#( B(3@ 9"# 49&(9 _ a3*4)'#( &* bXcX d.9#(X Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 Producers underestimate production and system costs The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers 4 CVLk-8UDGL1ING IS NLVLk A 8AD 1nING lf Lhere's one Lhlng LhaL's cerLaln abouL bulldlng Lhlngs, lL's LhaL lL wlll always cosL more Lhan you orlglnally plan! MosL growers sLarung ouL ln aquaponlc farmlng, or even Lradluonal markeL farmlng for LhaL mauer, fall Lo compleLely undersLand Lhelr cosLs. 1he large cosLs are easlly accounLed for. lL's Lhe boxes of screws LhaL wlll send you over budgeL. 1hls ls one reason LhaL Lhere are so many unnlshed aquaponlc sysLems ouL Lhere. 8UDGL1 1C IINISn Many growers geL sLarLed, lnvesL ln large faclllues, expenslve uullues and equlpmenL, buL never geL Lhe chance Lo fully uullze Lhem because Lhe budgeL ls consumed by unanuclpaLed Laxes and fees, lncldenLal cosLs or even Lhe cosLs of gemng Lhe rsL crop Lo markeL! 1nINGS ADD U UICk roducuon cosLs play a role here Loo. MosL producers don'L anuclpaLe Lhe need for packaglng cosLs, or pesL conLrol cosLs (organlc lnsecucldes are expenslve!). MosL don'L Lhlnk abouL Lhe cosL of lnsurance or prlnLed markeung maLerlals, or ongolng malnLenance cosLs. 1hese are ma[or cosLs LhaL add up! And Lhe cardlnal sln ls Lhls: MosL beglnnlng growers vasLly underesumaLe Lhe cosL of labor - wheLher lL's Lhelr own, or someone Lhey've hlred. kAI1 SS1LMS AkL NC1CkICUS ICk nIGn CCS1S 1hls ls especlally Lrue wlLh ra producuon - Lhe mosL spaually lnemclenL and labor-lnLenslve hydroponlc producuon Lechnlque LhaL ls sull commonly used. Common cosL composluon places labor cosLs around 33-43 of LoLal producuon cosLs. lor ra sysLems, Lhe labor cosLs can be slgnlcanLly hlgher, as much as 43-60 of LoLal cosLs. MosL producers don'L even conslder Lhls ln Lhelr labor esumaLes, so when Lhe cosL of harvesung and processlng comes ln, Lhe bouom llne qulckly drops from Lhe black Lo Lhe red. /-,3* [9#@\ !")*N 4#()314.E &:319 >"&9 -3494 E31D.. )*-1( '3*D9 :# &B(&)' 93 36#( #4,@&9# 9"# -349 3B #&-"X The famous raft system is the most spatially inefcient, labor-intensive hydroponic growing technique on the market. Nate Storey 2013 Producers confuse biological viability with economic viability 5 The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers kNCW 8LICkL CU GkCW 1here ls a mlsconcepuon LhaL sLarung a farmlng or aquaponlc producuon buslness ls 90 growlng and 10 selllng. [* @E #O2#()#*-# )9D4 W149 &:319 9"# 32234)9#X MosL farmers don'L Lake lnLo accounL Lhe ume and nanclal cosLs of gemng Lhelr produce Lo markeL once lL's grown, and as a resulL, don'L budgeL enough ume or money Lo eecuvely sell Lhelr produce. ln Lhe worsL-case scenarlo, growers lmplemenL producuon meLhods LhaL are noL producuve or have exorblLanL operauonal cosLs. 8eglnnlng growers can easlly be Lrlcked lnLo lnvesung Lhelr ume and money lnLo sysLems LhaL look producuve ln a phoLo, or because Lhey have been Lold Lhe sysLem ls producuve by whoever ls selllng lL Lo Lhem. 1hls ls unforLunaLe, because Lhere are oen many preuy farms loslng money, whlle Lhe less auracuve farms (usually operaung wlLh lower cosLs) oen have Lhe greaLesL poLenual and reLurn more on Lhelr lnvesLmenL. 1hls ls why lL's 43 )@23(9&*9 Lo use acLual meLrlcs when performlng your cosL analysls. !`e Gc!!c] %[fe !"# :3^3@ .)*# )4 9"&9 )9 '3#4*D9 @&^#( "3> 2(#^E E31( -(324 &(# )B E31 -&*D9 &P3(' 93 "&(6#49 9"#@A 3( '3*D9 "&6# 9"# &:).)9E 93 4#.. 9"#@X Especially if youre not using a Live Sales model, cutting produce , washing and transporting can take a signicant portion of a growers time and budget. Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 Growers choose the wrong crops 6 The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers GkCWLk 8LWAkL l, llke everyone else has been seduced on occaslon by Lhe owery descrlpuons of exouc new crops LhaL populaLe so many seed caLalogs Lhese days. lf l had every dollar back LhaL l've wasLed over Lhe years Lrylng Lo grow crops LhaL are elLher: A. Not su|ted Lo aquaponlc producuon, Lhe cllmaLe or Lhe producuon meLhod or... 8. Not |n demand ln my local markeLs, l'd have a hey chunk of change back from Lhe seed companles, and a few exLra monLhs added Lo my llfe. DIIILkLN1 1LCnNIULS ICk DIIILkLN1 CkCS ulerenL crops have dlerenL needs and some can only be culLured ln cerLaln ways. lolks uslng ras 4"31.' *39 be Lrylng Lo grow LomaLoes. Slmllarly, folks uslng crushed granlLe medla 4"31.' *39 expecL Lo be able Lo produce markeLable rooL crops. WhaL you Lry Lo grow needs Lo be approprlaLe Lo Lhe Lechnlque you are uslng. Slmllarly, Lhe crop should be sulLed Lo your cllmaLe/locauon. lf you llve ln Lhe norLh, Lrylng Lo grow long day lengLh crops ln an 8 hour day won'L work well for you. lf you're ln Lhe SouLh, and consLanLly baullng Lhe heaL, Lhen Lrylng Lo grow a cool weaLher crop llke rhubarb would be a Lerrlble declslon. So be thoughuu| about what you grow. 8efore you choose crops, you need to understand a few th|ngs: WhaL are your local condluons? WhaL growlng Lechnlque wlll you be uslng? ls lL approprlaLe for Lhls Lype of producuon? Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com ASSLSS 1nL CCML1I1IVL LANDSCAL Conslder whaL your compeuLors are growlng. lf you llve ln an area where summer compeuuon ls erce from eld producers, Lhen concenLraLe on someLhlng Lhey can'L grow durlng LhaL perlod. MosL llkely, lf a resLauranL cusLomer wanLs local organlc leuuce and a eld producer wlll sell lL aL $0.30/lb, you won'L be able Lo keep LhaL cusLomer over Lhe summer. llgure ouL whaL you can do Lo make ends meeL ln llghL of Lhls seasonal compeuuon, or lock your cusLomers lnLo long-Lerm purchaslng conLracLs. DCN'1 8L A 2UCCnINI DUMLk AnoLher Lhlng LhaL musL be consldered ls E31( markeL. now wheLher you're growlng for your famlly or for Lhe larmer's MarkeL, you're sull dlrecLly or lndlrecLly selllng your produce, and growlng a crop LhaL no- one wanLs ls a wasLe of E31( ume and money. When l was growlng up, and zucchlnl season hlL, everyone was Lrylng Lo unload zucchlnl on unsuspecung nelghbors, and supposed frlends. 1he home gardeners ln our nelghborhood had made Lhe mlsLake of growlng an easy Lo culLure, buL ulumaLely unwanLed crop. 1here's only so much zucchlnl a human can consume. So, ana|yze your market carefu||y. lf your chlldren don'L llke splcy Lhlngs, Lhen don'L grow wasabl. Lven Lhough lL wlll grow well ln your sysLem, you don'L have a markeL for lL. Slmllarly, lf you're growlng for local markeLs, analyze whaL ls mosL commonly consumed and sLarL Lhere. Choose a crop wlLh a guaranLeed markeL. !&N)*? ?&@:.#4 3* *#> 6&()#,#4 3( 3* #O3,- -(324 )4 d*# _ W149 @&N# 41(# )9D4 )* 4@&.. #*31?" 01&*,,#4 9"# d(49 E#&( 9"&9 E31 >3*D9 .34# E31( 4")(9X The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers Y!"#(#D4 3*.E 43 @1-" g1--")*) & "1@&* -&* -3*41@#XZ /-,3* [9#@\ 83 #6#(E9")*? E31 -&* 93 B1..E 1*'#(49&*' E31( @&(N#9 5 )9D4 >#&N*#44X Nate Storey 2013 7 The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers Growers operate systems w|th poor track records but expect d|erent resu|ts DC CUk nCMLWCkk When you're Lhlnklng abouL lmplemenung a sysLem, don'L be sold on Lhe supposed proLablllLy. Ask for references to system users that have been |n bus|ness for severa| years, |f they can't prov|de them, wa|k away. lnLervlew references carefully Lo nd ouL wheLher or noL Lhey're proLable and dolng well. h&(@)*? )4 "&('A &*' 9"#(# &(# 6#(E B#> B&(@#(4 3B &*E 6&()#9E >"3 @&N# :3&9.3&'4 3B -&4"A 43 )B 43@#3*# )4 2(3@)4)*? E31 .394 3B @3*#EA 9"#ED(# 2(3:&:.E *39 :#)*? "3*#49 >)9" E31X 1he key oenders when lL comes Lo non-funcuonal sysLems are sLacked bed sysLems (l.e. sysLems LhaL posluon one bed above Lhe oLher) and ra sysLems ln areas where labor ls expenslve and greenhouse producuon ls requlred. G39" 3B 9"#4# 4E49#@ 9E2#4 "&6# *#6#( :##* 2(3d9&:.# and have seen Lhelr falr share of folks who lnvesLed llfe savlngs and falled ouL of Lhe markeL. S1ACkLD 8LDS LkCLUDL LIGn1 & nAVL LIMI1LD 8IC IIL1kA1ICN SLacked bed sysLems have usually falled because Lhey requlre aruclal llghL Lo llghL Lhe bed resung ln Lhe dark below Lhe Lop bed. lanLs need llghL Lo grow, so any Lechnlque LhaL excludes mosL of Lhe llghL from Lhe crop ls denylng your crop planLs of Lhe mosL fundamenLal need. Whlle Lhls shadlng can be counLeracLed by aruclal llghLs, Lhls Lyplcally means a very large lnvesLmenL ln llghung on Lhe fronL end, and conunulng lnvesLmenL ln elecLrlclLy every monLh. 1hls Lype of producuon ls poorly deslgned, and Lhe lack of blologlcal lnLegrlLy of Lhe sysLem excludes Lhe posslblllLy of a funcuonal sysLem, leL alone buslness. kAI1 kCDUC1ICN IS LA8Ck IN1LNSIVL & SACL INLIIICILN1 8a deslgns can be very producuve and proLable ln areas where greenhouse producuon ls noL requlred for mosL of Lhe year and where labor ls falrly lnexpenslve. ln norLhern cllmaLes, greenhouse ra producuon ls slmply noL cosL eecuve, as evldenced by Lhe lack of esLabllshed commerclal ra growers ln Lhe norLhern unlLed SLaLes. AlLhough many are drawn Lo ra producuon because of Lhe low sLarLup cosLs, Lhe poor producuvlLy per square fooL of greenhouse space means LhaL expenslve resources are noL used as emclenLly as Lhey musL Lo be a vlable buslness. /-,3* [9#@\ /4N B3( (#B#(#*-#4 93 4E49#@ 14#(4 9"&9 "&6# :##* )* :14)*#44 B3( 4#6#(&. E#&(4A )B 9"#E -&*D9 2(36)'# 9"#@A >&.N &>&EX Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 SUCCLSSIUL AUACNICS kLUIkL kCLk LS1 MANAGLMLN1 1hls ls a common problem for boLh aquaponlc and organlc farmers. ln aquaponlcs Lhe averslon Lo pesL conLrol sLems from a lack of sh-safe conLrols, whlle ln organlc farmlng Lhe averslon sLems from a deslre Lo be pesuclde-free. 8egardless of Lhe reasonlng, operaung wlLhouL a pesL conLrol sLraLegy ls playlng 8usslan rouleue wlLh your farm. Cne bad lnsecL ouLbreak can ruln four crop generauons aL once, pumng you ouL an enure producuon cycle or more. lf a pesL conLrol sLraLegy lsn'L ln place when you resLarL Lhe sysLem, Lhe same problem can arlse and Lhe cycle can sLarL all over agaln. lf you are golng Lo grow on a larger scale, be lL a large famlly sysLem, a markeL sysLem or a large commerclal sysLem or farm, you musL have a pesL conLrol sLraLegy ln place before you sLarL. No excuses. DLSIGN MA11LkS lor aquaponlc producers Lhls can be challenglng because of Lhe rlsk of exposlng your sh Lo Lhe pesucldes - especlally wlLh ra and gravel bed sysLems. 1herefore, you'll need Lo Lhlnk abouL deslgnlng a sysLem early on so LhaL you have Lhe freedom Lo spray wlLhouL worrylng abouL kllllng sh. 1hls means LhaL you need Lo have a means Lo decouple your planL producuon from your sh producuon momenLarlly Lo deal wlLh Lhe overspray and Lhe lnsecuclde LhaL geLs lnLo your sysLem soluuon, or you could use ZlpCrow 1M Lowers, or boLh. 8 The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers Growers build and operate systems with no pest control strategy in place! Hanging ZipGrow TM Towers in tightly stacked zones not only maximizes production but also contributes to a more accessible and strategic pest management regiment. /-,3* [9#@\ !")*N 49(&9#?)-&..E >"#* '#4)?*)*? E31( 4E49#@ _ G# 41(# 93 :1).' )* @#-"&*)4@4 5 2(3-#'1(#4 93 -3@:&9 2#494 B(3@ 9"# 49&(9X VIDEO: Setting Up A Vertical Farm Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 ln our greenhouse we apply boLh sLraLegles. We have Lhe ablllLy Lo decouple our sh from our planLs, alLhough we haven'L had Lo use lL much slmply because of Lhe llmlLed pesuclde exposure uslng Lowers. 1LS CI LS1 CCN1kCLS ?ou also wlll need Lo know whaL Lo use, and how much you can use before lL becomes a concern. We use a hosL of CM8l cerued organlc conLrols ln our greenhouse, lncludlng ones LhaL oLher aquaponlc pracuuoners slmply can'L use (one of Lhe beneLs of uslng Lowers wlLh conLalned medla). l use a varleLy of blo-conLrols and chemlcal conLrols dependlng on Lhe lnsecLs LhaL seem Lo be on Lhe rlse ln Lhe greenhouse. lL ls a consLanL baule, buL one LhaL can be conslsLenLly won wlLh a good pesL conLrol sLraLegy and good conLrols. l wlll deLall Lhls laLer, when more ume can be devoLed Lo Lhls sub[ecL alone. LS1 MANAGLMLN1 SUMMAk 1o summarlze: Lo sLarL >)9"319 a pesL conLrol sLraLegy W#32&(')g#4 your enure operauon. A vlable pesL conLrol sLraLegy ls a small buL essenual plece of Lhe aquaponlc puzzle. The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers b#?&('.#44 3B 9"# (#&43*)*?A 32#(&,*? >)9"319 & 2#49 -3*9(3. 49(&9#?E )4 2.&E)*? b144)&* (31.#^# >)9" E31( B&(@X /-,3* [9#@\ i*'#(49&*' >"&9 2#49 -3*9(3.4 @#&41(#4 E31 -&* 14# 9"&9 >).. N).. )*4#-94 >)9"319 "&(@)*? E31( d4"X VIDEO: Vertical Farm Tour Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 9 The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers Growers get greedy SLCW, SUS1AINA8LL GkCW1n LNCCUkAGLD 1hls ls a common one. G#?)**)*? ?(3>#(4 9(E 93 ?3 933 :)? 933 B&49 >)9" 933 .)^.# #O2#()#*-#. 1hls leads Lhem Lo Lake ouL loans from a bank, or seek ouL venLure caplLal for large expenslve faclllues before Lhey fully undersLand Lhelr cosL sLrucLure or Lhe markeL Lhey're auempung Lo servlce. =(3>)*? 4.3>.E (#01)(#4 2&,#*-#A :19 )9 &..3>4 ?(3>#(4 93 ?(3> )*93 9"#)( @&(N#9 3(?&*)-&..EA @##,*? .3-&. *##'4 &*' '#@&*'4 >)9" 2(3'1-94. Large enLranLs Lend Lo ood Lhe markeL wlLh producLs LhaL Lhey belleve are deslred, oen wlLh mlxed resulLs. Crowers LhaL grow Loo fasL also seem Lo have caLasLrophlc fallures more oen. 1hese are fallures LhaL LhreaLen Lhe enure enLerprlse - oen because Lhe bulld and esLabllshmenL cosLs were hlgher Lhan expecLed. h&).1(#4 >)9" :)? 4E49#@4 @#&* :)? @3*#E, buL more lmporLanLly Lhey cause a gap ln supply Lo cusLomers who wanL conslsLenL dellvery. When Lhls happens Lhese cusLomers begln Lo look elsewhere, and by Lhe ume Lhe grower ls back onllne, he's oen losL many valuable cllenLs. 8IG SS1LMS LUAL 8IG SUkkISLS Crowlng Loo blg also seLs you up for surprlses LhaL you could have learned less expenslvely on a smaller sysLem - surprlses llke seasonal compeuLors who can undercuL you on prlce, lncreased energy cosLs durlng cerLaln monLhs, or sudden and masslve dlsease ouLbreaks because of a sysLem aw or human error. Surprlses are usually bad ln Lhls buslness, and Lyplcally mean LhaL you're loslng money on someLhlng, so mlnlmlzlng Lhem ls lmporLanL. unforLunaLely for large producers, surprlses Lyplcally represenL very large losses. So relgn ln Lhe need Lo overwhelm Lhe markeL. Crow slowly and be Lhoughuul abouL how you approach your markeL and how you operaLe your sysLem. ]&N# @)49&N#4 >"#* 9"#E -349 E31 .)^.# and learn, so LhaL when lL ls ume Lo bulld your 10 mllllon dollar greenhouse complex you'll have gouen all of Lhe expenslve mlsLakes ouL of your sysLem. /-,3* [9#@\ h)?"9 9"# 1(?# 93 ?(3> 933 :)? 933 B&49X =(3> 3(?&*)-&..E &*' @&N# @)49&N#4 >").# E31D(# 4@&..X Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 10 The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers Growers fail to approach their markets creatively CnCCSL CUk MAkkL1 AND 1nINk 8IG Many growers assume LhaL Lhe besL Lhey can do ls Lhe Lradluonal markeL lnsLead of Lhlnklng abouL new markeLs and new ways Lo access Lhose markeLs. AL Lhe same ume, growers should be Lhlnklng abouL how Lo reduce cosLs and lncrease revenue whlle accesslng Lhese markeLs. lf you're Lrylng Lo gure ouL how Lo do Lhls buL comlng up blank, lL's for a reason. h)?1()*? 319 *#> @&(N#94 &*' *#> >&E4 93 (#&-" 9"#@ )4 "&('R All of Lhe easy or obvlous Lhlngs are already belng done. now all LhaL are le are Lhe non-obvlous and dlmculL. MosL aquaponlc farmers fall Lo recognlze LhaL Lhe cosL sLrucLure lnherenL ln aquaponlc farmlng puLs Lhem aL a -3@2#,,6# ')4&'6&*9&?# when lL comes Lo Lradluonal markeLs and compeuuon wlLh convenuonal producLs. ln Lhese markeLs, aquaponlc produce slmply cannoL compeLe. So, Lo sLay aoaL, aquaponlc farmers musL nd markeLs where Lhelr produce can be markeLed Lo people who wanL aquaponlc" produce or local organlc" produce. DLVLLC A MAkkL1ING NICnL 1hls ls called nlche markeung, because lL requlres you Lo 4#.. E31( 2(3'1-9 93 & 4@&.. @&(N#9 >)9" 42#-)d- '#@&*'4X nlche markeLs are nlce because you may oen be Lhe only ones compeung ln Lhls Lype of markeL! 8lg companles cannoL aord Lo markeL Lhelr produce Lo Lhese Lypes of markeLs, especlally small nlche markeLs. 1he needs of Lhese markeLs are slmply Loo speclc and Lhe payouL ls Loo small. nlche markeung ls ne, buL lL poses hurdles Lo scallng. 1haL means you can only grow so blg, slnce Lhe Lhlng LhaL makes nlche markeLs nlche ls Lhe facL LhaL Lhey wanL very speclc producLs and are a relauvely small, unaddressed sub-secLor of Lhe maln markeLplace. 1hls ralses Lhe quesuon of wheLher or noL Lhe nlche ls blg enough Lo supporL you ln Lhe rsL place. lf lL ls noL, or lf lL ls [usL blg enough, lL means LhaL you elLher cannoL survlve ln LhaL markeL, or you won'L be able Lo grow. /-,3* [9#@\ =#9 -(#&,6#R !")*N 3194)'# 9"# 9(&'),3*&. &?()-1.91(# 4&.#4 49(1-91(#4 &*' 14# E31( &01&23*)- 2(3'1-,3* @#9"3'4 93 E31( &'6&*9&?#X 73A 93 49&E &j3&9A &01&23*)- B&(@#(4 @149 d*' @&(N#94 >"#(# 9"#)( 2(3'1-# -&* :# @&(N#9#' 93 2#32.# >"3 >&*9 Y&01&23*)-Z 2(3'1-# 3( Y.3-&. 3(?&*)-Z 2(3'1-#X Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers IINDING AND SLLLING 1C kcib MAkkL1 So, whlle nlche markeung ls a greaL place Lo sLarL, you musL gure ouL a way Lo sell enough Lo llve, grow and operaLe a successful farm. lf your nlche markeLs are large enough Lo accommodaLe Lhls, Lhen greaL! MosL folks have Lo nd alLernauve markeLs for Lhelr produce Lhough. GL1 CkLA1IVL AND GIVL VALUL 1hls ls one of Lhe reason l sLarLed dolng llve sales uslng ZlpCrow 1M 1owers. We supply nlche markeLs, buL ln order Lo supply Lhe larger markeL, we had Lo gure ouL a way Lo reduce our cosLs ln order Lo compeLe wlLh convenuonal growers whlle slmulLaneously sLandlng ouL ln Lhe grocery alsle. Llve sales was Lhe answer LhaL we hlL upon, because lL boLh reduced our cosLs (ellmlnaung Lhe handllng and packaglng cosLs, whlch are 60 of Lhe average growers budgeL) and sLood ouL as remarkable. 8kIGn1 AGkC1LCn'S LIVL SALLS MCDLL uslng Lhls model, Lowers are LransporLed from our greenhouse and cllpped lnLo dlsplays aL Lhe markeL Lo form edlble greenwalls. CusLomers harvesL Lhe produce LhaL Lhey wanL from Lhe dlsplay and pay by welghL, maklng Lhe purchase experlence fun and scalable Lo Lhe cusLomer's needs. 1o Lhls daLe, as far as l know, we're sull 9"# 3*.E :14)*#44 )* 9"# -31*9(E '3)*? 9")4 9E2# 3B 4&.#4. As a resulL, we have a valuable and loyal cusLomer base, boLh ln Lhe local foods and organlc and healLh foods nlche markeLs, buL also among convenuonal cusLomers who are drawn Lo Lhe experlence of harvesL and quallLy of our produce. 1hls ls [usL one example, buL Lhere are Lhousands of dlerenL sales and markeung models walung Lo be explored. [9 W149 (#01)(#4 -(#&,6)9EA @&(N#,*? &:).)9EA &*' 9"# &:).)9E 93 :# j#O):.# &*' &'&29 93 9"# @&(N#9D4 *##'s. Dr. Nate Storey adjusting the Live Sales display operated by Bright Agrotech in Laramie, WY. A customer cutting a few ounces of sweet basil from the Bright Agrotech Live Sales display at the Big Hollow Food CoOp in Laramie, WY. Share This Ebook! www.brightagrotech.com Nate Storey 2013 kNCWING 1nL CCMMCN LkkCkS WILL SAVL CU 1IML AND IkUS1kA1ICN 1hese are Lhe Lop Len mlsLakes new growers and small commerclal farmers encounLer when gemng sLarLed. Whlle focused on aquaponlc farmers, Lhere are also some Lakeaways for Lhe emerglng classes of urban farmers and markeL gardeners looklng Lowards Lhe local food movemenL for lncome. 8egardless of your parucular form of agrlculLure, Lhere are ma[or challenges assoclaLed wlLh Lrylng Lo compeLe ln an lndusLry LhaL has for so long been ruled by prlce-focused compeuuon and survlval of Lhe blggesL." 1haL belng sald, 9"# -1.91(# 3B B33' )4 -"&*?)*? 9")4 (&2)'.EA &*' @3(# 2#32.# &(# >&*,*? 01&.)9EA .3-&. B33'X LCCkING ICkWAkD l hope LhaL Lhls shorL ebook glves you someLhlng valuable Lo conslder. lf you are embarklng on Lhe advenLure of a large aquaponlc garden or even a markeL garden, conslder some of Lhese mlsLakes as you plan and bulld. Whlle Lhere are many more mlsLakes Lo be made ouL Lhere, Lhese are Lhe mosL expenslve ones. uon'L be afrald Lo ask Lhe advlce of someone who ls already dolng Lhls - someumes, even lf you have Lo pay for advlce or consulung lL's much less expenslve ln Lhe long run. The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers Conclusion !")4 )4 & "1?# 3223(91*)9E B3( 14 &4 4@&.. 2(3'1-#(4X Connect With Bright Agrotech www.brightagrotech.com www.verticalfoodblog.com Nate Storey 2013