Aquaponics in Washington, DC

47 Pages·2017·11.03 MB·English

by  Brian Filipowich

Aquaponics in Washington, DC
March 3, 2018
Brian Filipowich
Director, Anacostia Aquaponics
Chairman, Aquaponics Association
Part I – Putting Aquaponics in Perspective
1 – What is aquaponics?
2 – What are the benefits of aquaponics?
3 – What’s the status of aquaponics in the world today?
4 – What’s the status of aquaponics in Washington, DC?
Part II – Growing with Aquaponics
5 – The basic elements of an aquaponic system
6 – The easiest way to start
7– Starting up
1 – What is aquaponics?
Aquaponics is a method of growing fish and plants in a recirculating, soil-less
system that mimics the natural biological cycle.
“Hydroponics” “Aquaculture”
growing plants in + raising aquatic
water animals
“Aquaponics”
“Lucky Clay’s Fresh”
Commercial aquaponic farm in NC
1 – What is aquaponics?
The Aquaponics Cycle
Fish eat and
produce waste
Plants filter the
water for the fish
Bacteria convert fish waste
into a form plants can
absorb
1 – What is aquaponics?
The ORIGINAL Aquaponics
The most well-known examples are the “stationary islands”
set up in shallow lakes in central America
(e.g., Aztec’s Chinampas 1150–1350 BC),
and the introduction of fish into paddy rice fields
in South-East Asia about 1500 years ago.
2 – What are the benefits of aquaponics?
Fully-automated aquaponic trailer with goldfish
• Less water use - Aquaponic systems use
from Nov 2017 Aquaponics Conference in
over 90% less water than traditional
Portland, OR
agriculture per pound of produce.
• Local economic growth - Aquaponics can be
performed from cities to deserts, offering jobs
and local economic growth anywhere.
• No antibiotics - Aquaponic systems are
naturally incompatible with antibiotics;
growers rely on a diverse microbial ecosystem
for natural disease suppression.
2 – What are the benefits of aquaponics?
• Less food miles - Aquaponics can deliver fresh
produce in any environment which will reduce
carbon use, food spoilage, and nutrient depletion.
• Better food safety - Controlled-environment
greenhouses minimize the risk of outdoor
contamination hazards that cause most outbreaks.
• No toxic runoff - Aquaponic systems are closed-
loop and do not emit the harmful agricultural
runoff that causes aquatic dead-zones.
Morning Star Fishermen, Florida
2 – What are the benefits of aquaponics?
• No synthetic chemicals - Aquaponic systems
are naturally incompatible with synthetic
pesticides or fertilizers.
• Less land-use and soil erosion - Aquaponics
can be practiced anywhere, and plants can yield
over 150% more produce than traditional
agriculture per grow area.
• Protein!
UDC Hydroponic A-frame at PR Harris Campus
3 – What’s the status of aquaponics in the world today?
Aquaponics is not yet commercially mainstream, a few
reasons:
• Lack of technical expertise, industry standards.
• Difficult to profit from fish and plants from a
business perspective. Food safety regulations can be
difficult.
• High upfront costs are required to construct and
operate an efficient, reliable aquaponic system.
• Many folks underestimate the difficulty of properly
designing and operating a system, most growers find
a long, steep (yet rewarding!) learning curve.
• We don’t use true cost accounting, so there are no
market forces to allow efficient growers to capitalize
on their efficiency
3 – What’s the status of aquaponics in the world today?
The Aquaponics Industry
In 2010, one expert estimated that between 800 and 1,200 home aquaponic systems and 1,000 school aquaponic
systems existed in the United Sates; (Love, et al 2014)
“Brooklyn is now home to not one, but three aquaponic farms: Verticulture, Edenworks and OKO farms.” (ecowatch)
June 14, 2017:
Urban Organics and Pentair just opened one of the largest commercial aquaponic farms in the world in St. Paul
Minnesota. Urban Organics will use Pentair’s advanced pumps, filters, aerators, mineralization systems and more to
raise 275,000 pounds of Atlantic salmon and arctic char fish each year. About 475,000 pounds of organic greens
including kale, bok choy and arugula also will be produced.
In 2012, there were 21 states that reported at least one aquaponics farm to the USDA; [USDA-NASS 2013], with
a total of 71 aquaponics farms reported across the United States. In 2012, Florida had the most aquaponics farms
(20%), followed by Wisconsin (10%), Arizona (8%), New York (8%), and Hawaii (7%).
The Aquaponics Association recently sent 200 signatures to Congress asking for support in the 2018 Farm Bill.
3 – What’s the status of aquaponics in the world today?