---- Matthew McTammany <mmcta...@bucknell.edu> wrote: (things removed by me, and the following)
> a permaculture project in Ghana over the next > couple of years, primarily focused on aquaponics (in her words, "an > agricultural method, based in water, which combines growing fish – > 'aquaculture' – with growing plants in water – 'hydroponics.' Instead of > costly filtration to remove fish waste from the water, the water in the > system is cleaned by the plants, and instead of costly chemical > fertilization of the hydroponic water beneath the plants, the plants are > fertilized by the fish. All in all, it's possible to grow eight times as > many vegetables, with much less cost and maintenance, using 5% of the water > as growing in the ground – and you can do this anywhere.) Several years ago I visited a farm in northern Oklahoma. The farmer had several large greenhouses. In the greenhouses he grew a variety of common vegetables and fruits. His largest crops were tomatoes, peppers, and herbs such as basil and rosemary. In fact, he had the largest rosemary plant I have ever seen -- it was over 10 feet across. He also had circular fish tanks in which he grew _Tilapia_. At that time, he only harvested the fish for his own family needs and to sell a few occasionally as a favor to acquaintances. He gave me a few fish. He said he intended to increase the number of tanks, and to eventually harvest fish for market. His system was partially closed, with the fish waste collected in a conical bottom of the tanks and drawn off into a circulation system that delivered water to the plants. He used no other fertilizers for the plants, or so he claimed. He also used no pesticides on the plants, and had bumblebee colonies inside the greenhouses to pollinate some crops. He said he had been unable to get the Agricultural Extension Service in Oklahoma interested. I mentioned it to my friends who run the aquaculture program and are a part of the Extension Service at Langston University. They were unaware of his operation, but said they would contact him. I do not know if his operation was profitable. I have never revisited his place, and have lost track of him personally. David McNeely
