Hello from OK

[Onthefly]

Hello all, been doing some research on this awesome site. We currently are prepping for the inevitable and are currently doing some traditional gardening. However with our current and future environment becoming toxic we are very interested in aquaponics as our main source of food.

It seems an IBC tank is a good choice for a Ft but has anyone tried an abandoned self contained hot tub? It already has the drain plumbing to drain the sediment, may be able to utilize plumbing for suction and return and they are already insulated, just a thought.

We are also interested in selling at farmers markets to help make ends meet, so how big of a system would one need?

We are in southeast OK near Antlers in the boonies, I would like to visit someone in the area or between here and Dallas to see there setup and get some pointers from.

Thanks again for a great site.

[urbanfarmer]

Greetings Earthling, and welcome! :mrgreen:

[cedarswamp]

Welcome to the forum. :D

[JCO]

Welcome to the show....pull up an easy chair, relax and stay awhile. New voices are always a welcome addition to our family..! Whatever questions you have on you mind, this is the place to get the answers so pick a topic of your interest and start your own thread and Enjoy. Hey, also, I have an Aunt (Uncle was my mother's twin brother now deceased) who lives in Antlers, OK along with some cousins of mine. I visited them a number of years ago (about 15 yrs) and found the area very hospitable. Again Welcome. :mrgreen:

[keith_r]

welcome! i've seen systems using hot tubs/spas.. as long as it holds water and doesn't have metal exposed to the water (i would think limited metal is ok, like screws and such)

[rfeiller]

hello and welcome to the forum. it is the excess accumulation of metals of course that causes problems. we have to add iron oxide

[Onthefly]

Thanks all, we are on a well here, no shortage of iron. Antlers is a very small town and is the county seat, very poor county which means they will stay out of your business for the most part. Nice people though, for the most part :lol: Where were at we may not see anyone for weeks unless we go to town.

[davidstcldfl]

Hi Onthefly...welcome to the forum... :D
Wow, thats hard to grasp, not seeing anyone for days at a time. Here in central FL, there are people everywhere... :roll: I think I could get to like that real quick :mrgreen:

[Onthefly]

Thanks David,
We've been here full time almost a year now, we we're in the Dallas area for 10 yrs and after a little adjusting we found we sure didn't miss the rat race.

Been to central Florida a few times back in the eighties and stopped in Key West on a cruise once (temp was in the 50's) and it sure is beautiful their.

[rfeiller]

if you plan on supplementing your income with what you produce, what is it that the people want or need in your area. and then how many can you sell or will they need to buy for you to make it worthwhile. i always recommend a business plan. it does you no good to sell a few pieces of produce and realize you have not made your fuel expense.
something i also consider is i try to grow something that everyone else is not. tomatoes, squash, corn, are everywhere. what about plants or flowers? edible flowers? good luck.

[Onthefly]

Thanks RF, Indeed a biz plan should be a must and you're right the veggies you listed are quite common. Herbs and edible flowers are definitely a good idea although with the current heat and drought we noticed ornamentals are not selling here. Water in the not to distant future will be an expensive commodity which is one of the aspects that attracts us to the aquaponics and with fuel and energy in general on the rise a lot of veggies may not be readily available in the supermarkets one day.

Yes, I am part of the doom and gloom crowd and our main objective is to help provide for family and friends and maybe a little extra to help pay the light bill.

[keith_r]

your plan sound realistic.. lots of info on the web, some of it...well i guess you could say conflictiing (diplomatically speaking)
lots of folks willing to help here, and willing to learn from your experience as well

[Onthefly]

Thanks Keith, I have noticed some diverse opinions here which is what makes the world go round,.. oh wait that may be money.

[JCO]

OK, it's time..."A Place To Say Hello" is just that...a place to introduce yourself to the members and please don't think me rude as that is not my intention...I really enjoy your post, however it's time to pick a topic of your interest and start your own thread and Enjoy. :mrgreen:

[kneedeepinwater]

Welcome to the forum

[davidstcldfl]

Onthefly ...I like your avatar.... :D