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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.
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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.
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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.
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Nate Storey 2013
The Top 10 Mistakes
The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers
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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...
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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
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The Top 10 Mistakes Made By Aquaponic Growers
1
Growers design and implement unusable,
or hard to use farms
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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Nate Storey 2013
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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
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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#@\
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4E49#@ 14#(4 9"&9 "&6#
:##* )* :14)*#44 B3( 4#6#(&.
E#&(4A )B 9"#E -&*D9 2(36)'#
9"#@A >&.N &>&EX
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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#@\
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E31( 4E49#@ _ G# 41(# 93 :1).' )*
@#-"&*)4@4 5 2(3-#'1(#4 93
-3@:&9 2#494 B(3@ 9"# 49&(9X
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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
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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#@\
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?(3> 933 :)? 933 B&49X
=(3> 3(?&*)-&..E &*'
@&N# @)49&N#4 >").#
E31D(# 4@&..X
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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#@\
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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
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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.
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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
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Nate Storey 2013

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