Poll: What are your expectations of your AP system.

[15mules]

Ok, As the title says, what are your expectations of a AP system. Many people do this for, I expect, many different reasons. I think it will be interesting to see why we are all here and what we expect to gain, by learning AP. I think it will also be interesting for some of us to look back in 6 months or 1 year and see if we have exceeded our expectations, or do we still need to keep working at it, or maybe re-think our expectations? This is a simple poll, but feel free to elaborate on your answer if you wish.
Thanks for your time

[15mules]

Well, as you all can see my intention is to provide healthy food for my family, while building a business that will also provide some supplemental income through local sales of produce and maybe fish. While I would be perfectly happy to quit my day job, realistically, I am keeping the expectation of that kind of income low at the moment.
Next year, maybe the AP business will be booming and I will be forced to quit my day job just to keep up with the demand!!!
Ok, maybe that last part is a dream right now, but we can all dream can't we??
Thanks

[keith_r]

my first goal was to figure out how stuff works in ap..
my system is in my basement, so i do need some heating in the winter if i want to keep raising tilapia with the yellow perch and bluegill
then it evolved.. my second bigger goal was to be able to get a fish dinner for my wife an myself at least 1x week all year.. i'm at that point now, but i still have some things to take care of.. i need a big freezer so i can harvest most of the fish, so that i can re-stock - i may try canning some, and i will definitely smoke some..
right now i'm using an 8' kiddie pool, but i'm working on plans for a larger rectangular tank

[urbanfarmer]

my first goal was to figure out how stuff works in ap..
my system is in my basement, so i do need some heating in the winter if i want to keep raising tilapia with the yellow perch and bluegill
then it evolved.. my second bigger goal was to be able to get a fish dinner for my wife an myself at least 1x week all year.. i'm at that point now, but i still have some things to take care of.. i need a big freezer so i can harvest most of the fish, so that i can re-stock - i may try canning some, and i will definitely smoke some..
right now i'm using an 8' kiddie pool, but i'm working on plans for a larger rectangular tank

Have you tried using Tilapia in fish fritters? They're delicious! You can also salt the fish to preserve them. I don't know exactly how long, but from my understanding it will keep in the refrigerator for almost a year if done right.

[urbanfarmer]

15mules I think you have exactly the right idea. You are giving yourself plenty of time to learn about all this and you will slowly attract people to your garden. Eventually, the business WILL take on a life of its own. Live the dream, you will get there definitely!

[15mules]

Any body else surprised by the results?? Most people just wanting a few veggies for family. I guess I just thought more people would be looking at the "farmer's market" aspect of AP, as far as providing a bit of supplemental income?? I am sure we would need a few more votes to conclude this with any certainty though??

[Roger L.]

As a person on permanent disability I was just looking for a hobby that would keep my mind active while not putting much burden on my body. The build took me 3 weeks because I would work until I had to sit and get the load off my back. Now with the garden at belly level I can garden without bending over and will have a nice fish dinner when my babies grow up!

[15mules]

Roger,
This was my first thought when I was thinking of AP as a business. I used to have a landscaping service here and I know a lot of older people who loved gardening, but just could not take the weeding and daily work to maintain a normal dirt garden. I am really hoping AP can be a way for many of these people to get back to enjoying gardening, without all of the physical requirements of a dirt garden.