Sonia Johnson wrote:Has anyone tried growing willow in an aquaponic system for use as goat feed? I'm going to be setting up a system this spring, and that's one thing I'd like to try (with hay prices approaching $20/bale here!) I'm thinking half barrels, with lengths of willow cuttings submerged horizontally so they send up shoots.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Sonia
You may want to try to get some ramie (Boehmeria nivea), a sturdy sub-tropical plant. Ramie has 24% protein in the leaves (about like alfalfa) and is readily eaten by pigs and cows. It does require more water than NV can supply The U.S. Department of Agriculture cultivated over 3,000 acres in Florida in the mid 20th Century.
A good website to have in a gardener's Favorites list is Feedipedia.org with nutritional values of almost 300 plants.
Al_San_Diego
