Preparing for Uncertainty and Self Reliance

[C-Mag]

I find being able to keep only 110 gallons pretty repressive. That's one good rain storm.

For now, the Water Stasi are on hold. But they will be back.

[Speaker to Animals]

How beneficent of them to allow 110 gallons.

[Speaker to Animals]

Interesting.



If you start a nursery, it might be effective to make your own fertilizer and sell the surplus at the farmer's market. This could be used not so much for profit, but to negate your operating costs with respect to fertilizer and other inputs.

I am kind of interested in how you can essentially eliminate most operating costs so that all you have are your fixed operating costs like the initial loan, taxes, etc.

The fish farm idea is interesting too.

Though.. I am thinking you could make the worms and fertilizer in the buckets, use the surplus worms to feed tilapia, and then use the tilapia and fertilizer for growing your primary crops.

You can get your water from rainwater collection.

You can also make a fairly energy efficient greenhouse that runs on solar heat and maybe natural gas in the winter if you want to get crazy and grow through the winter.

[Speaker to Animals]

Basically.. what if you could create a nursery and small farm that is a closed system? Could you collect rainwater and use in an aquaponic system in the nursery, using fish fed by your worms that make all your fertilizer? Slap a wind generator and maybe some solar cells to run small electrical equipment in the nursery during the day? Use heirloom seeds so that you need to purchase them just one time.

[brewster]

I'm going to say no, the biodynamics of feeding fish worms fed on plant waste is far less efficient than raising fish on the plant waste itself. Always shorten the food chain as much as you can. Remember the fish waste is a fertilizer resource too.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Basically.. what if you could create a nursery and small farm that is a closed system? Could you collect rainwater and use in an aquaponic system in the nursery, using fish fed by your worms that make all your fertilizer? Slap a wind generator and maybe some solar cells to run small electrical equipment in the nursery during the day? Use heirloom seeds so that you need to purchase them just one time.

You just described a homestead.

Most fertilizer needs can be met by compost. Fish would be super neat though.

[brewster]

You might find this interesting.

Https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/20/dini ... ticut.html

What your really want for your fish farm is Basa, south asian catfish. They breath air and can be concentrated far denser than any other farm fish. Don't know if they're legal here.

[Speaker to Animals]

I'm going to say no, the biodynamics of feeding fish worms fed on plant waste is far less efficient than raising fish on the plant waste itself. Always shorten the food chain as much as you can. Remember the fish waste is a fertilizer resource too.

The fish waste is what is used to also fertilize plants directly via the water in an aquaponics system.

Also, the fish wouldn't be a final product at all. Just a means to fertilize. When they get big enough, you can eat some if you want, but you can also use them to fertilize an orchard or just a field. Natives used to plant corn with a fish for this reason. I am saying you can boost yields and cut variable costs by doing something like this. No need for fertilizer and no big water bills (or electric bills to pump water).

[Speaker to Animals]

You might find this interesting.

Https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/20/dini ... ticut.html

What your really want for your fish farm is Basa, south asian catfish. They breath air and can be concentrated far denser than any other farm fish. Don't know if they're legal here.

It might be that to farm them you have to adhere to some pretty strict regulations. And God help you if they find basa in the water system and you are the one guy farming them somewhere nearby.

[brewster]

Also, the fish wouldn't be a final product at all. Just a means to fertilize. When they get big enough, you can eat some if you want, but you can also use them to fertilize an orchard or just a field. Natives used to plant corn with a fish for this reason.

Fertilizing with edible fish is as stupid as burning corn in your car. What most people not of the Northeast coast don't realize is the natives here fertilized with menhaden, an inedible fish that runs in huge, easy to net schools. I've seen them so concentrated by the bluefish attacking them you could literally just grab them by hand.