Quote Originally Posted by http://www.jsonline.com/business/98569659.html
The Natural Green Farms model is similar to plans on the drawing board in Chicago. The Chicago Sustainable Manufacturing Center is working with the Illinois Institute of Technology to develop a vertical farm called The Plant for a former meatpacking plant. It would raise tilapia and vegetables by recycling wastewater from fish tanks to nourish the plants.
REF: http://www.jsonline.com/business/98569659.html

When I first saw this system I thought, it sure seems like they're copying that Chicago meat factory AP setup. This article confirms it. I thought, "GEE, someone didn't do their market research because the economic feasibility of this kind of operation faces many challenges in an strongly agricultural state." Running this thing indoors is what put the nail in the coffin. The investment capital is absurd for the production. Their electric bill is over $3000 a month. I'm not even sure how many fish they have in there, but I would estimate their fish feed cost in somewhere in the $300 - $500 range a month, and that's assuming they're not maximizing their fish production (less feed, slower growth).

FOLKS, THE POINT OF ANY AP SYSTEM IS TO RECYCLE WASTE BYPRDOCUTS OF A SYSTEM AND REUSE THEM CHEAPLY OR FREE AS A COPRODUCT FOR A 2ND CASH CROP. IN PURE AQUACULTURE 1/2 YOUR OPERATING COST, ALONE, IS USUALLY FISH FEED BASED ON PRODUCTION/YIELD. IT WOULD BE CHEAPER TO GROW THE LETTUCE OUTSIDE IN CHEAP POLYTUNNELS THAN THIS MADNESS.

I can't imagine what other costs they have associated with their operation, but it looks like more than 1 person runs this fiasco. $3000 a month is too little to split for a full-time salary for more than 1 person. The high investment cost, high cost of operation, and poor market positioning has doomed this operation to fail from the start. Never underestimate the power of laying out a good business model and taking the time to research and draft a business plan. Problems like this would have been avoided before spending a penny (not to mention the likely million or millions they spent). Whoever buys this business is a complete idiot. $1.5 million investment to generate a few thousand dollars a month? Juts retired off your 1.5 million, the interest off that will pay you more sitting in the bank.

Man, what a joke. If this business was a boat, I would liken it to the Titanic sinking except it would have to strike the iceberg that sunk it as soon as it left dock (the champagne wouldn't even have time to wash off). I have never seen an actual business with a negative ROI built-in from the start. I hope the folks who set this thing up come out of it okay. I hope their story serves as a portend to those that expect the "if you build it they will come" philosophy to carry their business to success. Do not let their sacrifice be in vain folks! Let us learn from this monumental failure!