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Robin Hones

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since Nov 29, 2011
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Recent posts by Robin Hones

Without getting into the rest of the issues, let me tackle the fish feed as I believe that the argument about using wild fish stock to feed aquaponic fish is a bit outdated. There are at least a couple of resources available now that sell USDA organic fish feed which is certified to have no fish meal or soy.

The rub is the cost, which at around $3/lb is at least double the conventional feed.

Please see: http://www.theaquaponicstore.com/AquaOrganic-Organic-Fish-Food-s/126.htm
And: http://premiumfishfood.com/ultimate-organic-fish-food.html

From the latter (and no, I don't necessarily know what I am looking at, so if someone with more knowledge can point out other "gotchas" please pile in)

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude Protein (min) 32.000%
Crude Fat (min) 4.680%
Crude Fiber (max) 8.700%
Lysine (min) 1.700%
Calcium (min) 0.700%
Calcium (max) 1.200%
Phosphorus (min) 0.400%

Ingredients: Organic Wheat Middlings, Organic Rice Bran, Organic Canola Meal, Organic Corn, Organic Linseed Meal, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Reed Sedge Peat, Monosodium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Sodium Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Folic Acid, Niacin, Choline Chloride, Biotin, Riboflavin, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Calcium Pantothenate, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Beta Carotene, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Ascorbic Acid, Yeast Culture, Thiamine Mononitrate, Ferric Choline Citrate Complex, Organic Dried Kelp, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Cobalt Choline Citrate Complex, Salt, Copper Choline Citrate Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Chloride, Attapulgite Clay, Organic Fenugreek, Organic Grape Seed Extract, Organic Lecithin, Enzyme Product, Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Citric Acid, Calcium Hydroxide, Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate, Zinc Sulfate Monohydrate, Manganese Sulfate, Organic Garlic, Diatomaceous Earth, Silicon Dioxide, Organic Dried Whole Milk, Organic Sugar, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, Activa Natural Source Mg, Fe, K, Organic Potato Starch, Organic Dry Whole Egg, Organic Tomato Powder, Organic Sources of (Orange Peel Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Dandelion Root, Dandelion, Cloves, Sage, Peppermint, Fennel, Hops, Parsley, Thyme, Lemon Grass, Elder Flowers, Chamomile Flowers, Licorice, Basil, and Ginger), Fumaric Acid, Organic Oat Groats, Yucca Schidigera Whole Plant Product, Organic Water Extracts, Organic Gelatin, Iron Polysaccharide, Copper Polysaccharide, Magnesium Polysaccharide, Manganese Polysaccharide, Zinc Polysaccharide, Zinc Sulfate, Pectin, Granite Dust, Perfect Food Berry, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Sulfur, Organic Rice Protein, Copper Sulfate, Yeast, Cobalt Carbonate.
10 years ago

Robin Hones wrote:The Italian Alders are dotted about the system. At least two sides of his 2 acre site are protected by pre-existing conifers. I will post photos when I get them downloaded off the camera.



Here are 2 photos which show the limbed Italian Alders

11 years ago
The Italian Alders are dotted about the system. At least two sides of his 2 acre site are protected by pre-existing conifers. I will post photos when I get them downloaded off the camera.
11 years ago
I had the good fortune to tour Martin Crawford's forest garden yesterday. One technique he uses that is relevant to this discussion is that his emergent layer is mostly n-fixing trees (Italian alders) which are then limbed up to the the extent of a telescopic lopper (about 20'?) allowing a lot of light to come into the lower layers. This means that the tallest trees in the system are support species which fits well because of course he doesnt need to climb up to get their products, and also through this limbing system they have a minimized impact on the light levels at canopy level ( mostly 15-25' in his case I would guess).
11 years ago
According to Martin Crawford's "Creating a Forest Garden" not all Alders will coppice well.
OK for Alnus Glutinosa (Common/European) and A. Sinuata (Sitka). Not good for A. Cordata (Italian) and A. Rubra (Red)
11 years ago
John Lennon - "Life is what happens to you whilst you are busy making other plans".
11 years ago
Cortland,
Any chanceyou could post your methodology for determining the $$ return and therefore whether a particular crop makes it into the 25%? Maybe one example crop and/or product?
I have tried before to do this and ended up in despair because when I included all the factors that occurred to me I simply had too many variables to make the exercise valid. The factors that I came up with:

Price - varies by channel? (eg CSA, direct, farmstand, etc)
Harvested Yield per unit area
How much is unsold?
Growing season (for annuals - can the same area be utilized before or after for other crops?)
Side benefits (eg bamboo can yield stakes as well as edible shoots, or mulberry leaves can be a forage crop in addition to the fruit.)
Establishment costs (planting, purchase of seed, rootstock etc)
Maintenance costs - weeding, fertilizing, etc
Harvest costs
Post Harvest costs - eg grain threshing, sorting/grading of apples, etc
Processing Costs - eg smoking, making jam, labeling, packaging, etc

If you sell through multiple channels then immediately there is an issue of the different pricing, and assigning costs to products also gets pretty hairy too. Just curious how you solved this problem.

Thanks
11 years ago
A big thanks to all who have helped "lift the fog".

I see a copy of Mycelium Running in my future.

Gratefully

R
11 years ago