[Pil-pc-oceania] Aquaponics

[Susan Girard]

Hi all,
I visited a hydroponic lettuce farm maybe 15 years ago and was given a guided tour by an enthusatiatic owner. 
It was a large million dallar operation on the Central Coast. 
It used so much power a new mains system had been installed to pump the water and nutrient around. 
He grew several varieties of lettuce, but it was still obviously a monoculture and like all life a lack of diversity has it's down side. The farmer spoke of multiple spray programs to manage the Rutherglen bug problems. 
The fertilisers were not organic naturally. The lettuce were harvested within 4 weeks rather than the 6-8 of other commercial growers. A plus to him but it reminded me of force feeding a goose till it's liver enlargened and eventually failed;all for more pate. And there was no suggestion of 'pick and grow again harvesting'.
None of it seemed sustainable nor nature and I never did find out what happened to his waste water...probably adding to a 'salvinia' problem somewhere down stream

Many times I have often been with Rowe Morrow during a PDC, when she has taught aquaculture and spoken of the methods used in Vietnam.
Where pigs are housed over ponds with there droppings falling into the water below. 
Bottom feeder fish consume the manure and top feeder fish consume the bottom feeder fish 
At the end of the food cycle the farmer has extra protein for her families diet and no waste. 
Tom Duncans aquaponics idea sound to me a lot like that and I for one will look into it a little further.
Sue Girard.
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