Just another Iowan

[Avarial]

Looking through all the posts that I did, there arent too many of us Iowans registered.

A little about me:
I am Rick, and I am new here...:)

Now that I got the hard part over with....

Well, I am about to turn 40, and I want my next 40 years to be much more productive than my first with reguards to taking less from this planet, and giving more back. I am putting together a plan to accomplish that through homesteading, with a good portion of land dedicated to aquaculture. My goal is to have a model homestead drawn up on paper to be able to submit for funding.

Some highlights I would like to share:
1. Non Profit
2. 100% sustainability(or as close as possible)
3. Completely off grid
4. Offer housing/training to "residents"
5. "Residents" to provide much of the labor
Residents defined as homeless, vets, parolees, disabled, women in need, abuse victims, and the list goes on

In a nutshell, I am here to learn. I am here to post my ideas, bounce those ideas off some of you that have been there, done that, and as someones signature says, I learned 10,000 ways not to do "that"(refering to Edison and the light bulb).

[Apollo]

Apollo here...Welcome, I'm the someone with the signature I HAVE NOT FAILED. I'VE JUST FOUND 10,000 WAYS THAT WON'T WORK. Thomas A Edison

There's a lot of information within this site. Enjoy and Good Luck!

[JCO]

Welcome to the forum...I can already see it's too late to tell you that Aquaponics is addictive and there is no cure or shot...your done for now and forever.

So, that said, sit back and enjoy the ride and don't forget when you get started, we like regular updates and photos. :mrgreen:

[Avarial]

Thank you Apollo, and I enjoyed reading your threads with reguard to your well laid out pond/grow beds, especially their "finished" appearance.

Hello again JCO(I sent you the emails about being a former risident of Orange Park).....if I had only known about aquaponics when I lived down there, because from the sounds of it, you have been doing yours for quite a while, I could have possibly seen your up close and personal

[Roger L.]

Welcome Avarial. You will find plenty of people willing to share thier varying knowledge here. Some methods people disagree on but there are more ways to skin cats I hear. Study, observe, and ask away.

[Aloha Don]

Sounds like you have a solid plan....
welcome to the addiction....
Please keep us informed and WE LIKE PICS :D

[Avarial]

Thanks Roger....I know my first greenhouse plan will be a testing ground for additional houses....I plan to test differant methods of growing, and I will value all those opinions, and put each into a head to head test with as many variables the same as possible throught entire testing. This way when two people argue over which is better, I can say give me 6 months, and I will tell you which is better in an Apples to Apples test.

EXAMPLE TEST:
I saw a you tube video talking about a guy who summised if you suspend a raft over water, leaving an inch(or more) space between the raft and the water, plants will be able to take up oxygen with the roots in that space.

My test would be a 4 foot by 20+ foot raft table with 2 foot wide rafts floating down one side. On the othe side, I would also have rafts that start out in the water for a week or two, but slowly start to raise those beds out of the water using a PVC "girder" system made to support the raft above the water.


And thank you too Don. I am hear really to bounce ideas off people here, trying to develope a plan for my homestead, in an attempt to get funding. I am probably a year away from breaking ground on what will become a tank "garage/shed", in which possibly 4 greenhouses will be attached to. From there, I will build the first greenhouse, and begin with testing as described above. So, in reguards to your request for pictures, there wont be any for a while at least, with the exception of maybe some mock-up to tell what I am describing.