Backyard aquaponics as self-sustained farm in (sub)urban LA
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- Scott Henley wanted to prove he could turn the backyard of his modest Pasadena (Los Angeles) home into a working farm. To turn his 8000-square-foot backyard into a productive farm, Henley turned to aquaponics- a combination of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics: "This is a very efficient way to grow things in a small space. And it also produces a protein source."
He farms tilapia because they breed fast. The fish waste is broken down in the water by naturally-occurring bacteria into nitrate. The plants take up the nitrates as food and the now-cleaned water is fed back to the fish and the process begins again. The only inputs are sunlight and fish food. It's an inherently organic system because any pesticides would upset the natural balance of the small ecosystem.
After less than 2 years in operation (he started in the summer of 2012), he- through Whisper Farms- now sells enough produce to restaurants, CSAs, and at the local (Altadena) farmer's market- to cover all costs and produce a small profit. His "experiment" is still not productive enough to create a salary, but he hopes that will change once he's able to sell his fish and create more of a cooperative setup with other farms (to reduce the permitting costs for selling at farmers' markets).
Whisper Farms: altadenafarmers...
Filmed by Johnny Sanphillippo -- more of his stories about urbanism, adaptation & resilience: granolashotgun....
Original video: faircompanies.c...
"How do I grow it?"
"Just water the thing" 10/10 instructions
kinda of a douche response, they're plenty of crops that take skill to grow you dont just water crops, as you can see his farm looks grotesque
@@vladimirremmirez7671 looks like a hydroponic to me, they have access to water 24/7
Such a great point about LA's farmers' markets! So many of the farmers around here (250 miles north) ditch our local markets to drive 6 hours and make the big bucks in LA. This voids the entire concept IMHO. I especially liked this vid because it featured an average fella with an average income doing innovative work with his head and hands.
Yes!
I absolutely love these operations.
If I wasnt such a lazy procrastinator...
what's crazy is i think i've read this comment years ago, while i was king procrastinator, and totally agreed with you
tomorrow i'm getting some stuff to start my first aquaponics experiments
TVFILMBUFF lol. I thought the same. Your comment made me spit my food. Lol
This guy is someone I'd want to be with during a zombie apocalypse.
we are already there at the zombie apocalypse, as in pretty much all the countries in the world have a zombie government just driving us towards insanity.
What kind of world do we live in when farmers cannot afford to farm..... think about it!
People have used these techniques for 1000's of years (directly growing fish with plants in many cases). The technology simply improves the process.
hmu when it happens I got your back
One thought: I bet you could find someone giving away a second hen on Craigslist. That way she can have a buddy :) My chickens freak out if they become separate from the flock. I bet she would enjoy a friend!
Really interesting video, it's great to see people pushing this as it really is the future!
How is it working out now 5 years down the road Kirsten?
What is the operating cost verses the profits of an aquaponics setup. Estimates on any size will do, thanks in advance.
I love the way you build your documentaries, the sound of our world, the people that you film speaks to us like we are really there! i don´t get tired of watching your videos
i hope to have my own channel in the future, showing the birth and growth of my own place :) the information that i gather here will definitely define what i will do there, so for that i
thank you
don´t stop filming sustainability and art!
Everyone should grow some of their own food
You are one of my heroes, Scott! Keep doing it and hopefully your success will encourage more of us to do the same...at least to the extent of feeding ourselves.
Love his will to try to experiment with new techniques and discover what could the possible limits be to home growing with those techniques . Only thing i'd criticize is the little lack of more organization/ space optimization for some things like the compost / front garden / breeding fish tanks but meh he's doing amazing !
Yeah those skills come after you've experimented for 10 years and rebuilt your farm 3 times. Not everyone has the work ethic and endurance to withstand that struggle. But as an innovator and educator, he is the spear head to an unlimited trickle down effect.
I just watched this today, August 25, 2019, wondering if they still have this system ?
Nope
5:51 whooo boy, that power strip just hanging next to a big bucket of water is probably fine
I Love this guy and all the wonderful Eco-friendly concepts, he's implemented! Bravo! This is for me!! This is the future..Now!! :))
Another good video. There isn't enough videos on this subject matter. Thank you
This was a great video with a wealth of information. I am inspired to do my own aquaponics system here in Thailand.
Close the loop by raising earthworms, mealworms and black fly larvae... :)
to feed the fish?
@@henrikkarl25 yes
You can raise thousands of black fly larva by leaving an overly ripe melon or cantaloupe outdoors.
Great video, I'm just investigating different methods and found your explanations very clear and on point. Thanks.
Really smart but why is he using such toxic materials. Resin and styrofoam are constantly in contact with the food. I wonder what would be a good alternative?
How about untreated wood?
This and PVC pipe.
.
I find it difficult to believe that he doesn't have SERIOUS zoning problems or neighbor complaints.
Just the APPEARANCE of his property must deflate the local values by $50K !
Lol
This is one of the best explained videos you've posted Kirsten. Thanks!!!
This is exactly what my family has been looking into here in Utah.
That's awesome and very encouraging for those who are looking at doing this . I like the realistic attitude and the can do attitude .
I was doing Aquaponics before it had a word to describe it . I was interested in the fish keeping hobby since kindergarten when the Seattle aquarium brought their tide pool critters to our school and gave every child a couple of guppies to see if they could take care of them and be responsible .That was 41 years ago .Since then I've been active in the hobby and worked at a few places such as tropical fish hatcheries and a couple of pet stores . Aside from my regular trade as a communications technician .
There is amazing potential for feeding the world using this system and it's environmentally friendly aside from the costs of the power which can be solar,wind or micro hydro powered depending on where you live etc .Also using compost to heat the water is another way to reduce the price for heating water and or air temperature for a greenhouse . The beauty of the system is that it can be as simple as a couple of tanks for the average person and then the plants of course or a full scale farming operation .
It's all about the ambition of the person or people, cooperation and support ,their dedication and their abilities to make it work .
Also your entirely right about how you can scavenge things for free or low cost .I got several of my fish tanks from 10 gallo up to 200 gallons and plastic and fiberglass ponds for the price of the gas I spent .
Craigslist can be your friend if you get the jump on everyone else and most importantly follow through .
Anyway excellent video, I subbed 👍
Such an interesting video! I am lucky to live rural with some land, but living in the desert, I have my own agricultural challenges. I think it is so incredible to see that people living in the city are trying to feed themselves and be sustainable. This guy is awesome!
Very cool setup. AP is the future! I'm totally hooked on it and have built a few systems so far..
80 W + 90 W = 170 W = 0.17 kW (not 1.7 kW) "kilo" means thousand !
kilowatt hours...approx. 4.08 kWh...at $.15 or $.2 per, is $.61 per day, that's what I think he was talking about
I heard that too... I think he also said "bacterias" lol
@@ilopezaqua5759 to be fair lots of people who know that's not technically right say that
That was a nice bit of video, thanks for sharing and keep up the good work.
05:51 that does not look very safe
Good man. You have that green serenity on your face and in words. Keep doing what you are doing. Well done
all that foam insulation probably has fire retardants in it. I'm OCD lol
I'm doing this. I have no idea how, but I'm definitely going to watch this video several more times and do my research. thanks again Kirsten for supplying me with a wealth of information!
Being a 'former' Calif native; how did you get all that electrical approved that does not look code compliant around water. Am I missing something? That and city codes for running an agriculture operation in a residential neighborhood. Calif municipalities are notorious for over coding property use and taxation, I am so surprised of your success; and kudos to you.
NO ONE should have to get the government’s permission to sell vegetables they have grown!
this set up looks messy and easily contaminated.. I mean even in his shed I worry of mold and contamination to the fish.. Funny he talks about his fear of antibotics and such while smoking a cigarette..
excellent job Scott. I lived in SO. Cal for many years and have been in South East Asia. Thailand for over 20 and have decided to do Progressive Farming in Cambodia. One of the best presented videos I've seen. Hey, that Moringa. Good for Poultry, Rabbits and / or Tilapia?? Thanks
Ohhhh I think I know what this is. I have always seen it a lot I think in Thailand. Same question applies.
@@thomasrossetti639 See "Effects of Moringa oleifera leaves as a substitute for alfalfa meal on nutrient digestibility, growth performance, carcass trait, meat quality, antioxidant capacity and biochemical parameters of rabbits." You can find it by Googling "moringa as rabbit feed."
Ay bro you really shouldnt smoke around your vegetables they do get second hand from that
Wow, very impressive and nicely explained. Thanks for posting this!
It's not easy being Green .
If you insulate the black tubes in a Woden box with a glass face them pipes will heat up a lot more,
I like your system. Did you built this it yourself. If you have could you send me some details as i will like to build similar system Africa
Kirsten, You inspire me to want to do this kind of thing. It surely can't be easy to find all these interesting people, and stories though. I never get tired of watching your channel, its my favorite on youtube. Thanks for all the amazing videos!
Will you please find that chicken a partner?? :) Great video too far to visit..too bad. :(
Wonderful camera quality
Yes that's COOL!!! self Help!!! not to bad But what the hell do I know???
That would depend on your circumstances, and what you are willing to change. :-)
michaelnew1962 Ah yes? Agreed!!!
i love it
interesting points ,if anyone else needs to find out about
aquaponic systems plans pdf
try Proutklarton Surviving Instruction Plan (do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some awesome things about it and my colleague got amazing success with it.
You could use compost heater to heat the water, making the cost of heating just material for the compost heater and labor costs.
How do I contact this guy so I can purchase from him directly
Dougs2fresh Look up whisper farms on Google I guess.
Wow! Amazing work and love how you have maximized your property. Great segment.
Stunning and truly inspirational
I love all your videos Kirsten.
good thing he grows his own healthy food to offset those cigarettes he is smoking
Growing in styrofoam in the smoggiest US city? ...lemme think about it.
Hes using one method, the method I use is a flood and drain bed and the plants are in clay balls if you would like to know more I recommend robbobs aquaponics and backyard farm
I want to do this, but have not found out how to do it, and not use any any plastic or foam and such. In my opinion that these are poison, especially PVC. So any advice?
Think bamboo instead of plastic tubing. I hate to add more plastic to my environmen, especially styrofoam as it breaks into tiny pieces and never degrades. I don't know how to use bamboo, but I've seen in done in Japan and China.
Awesome system! Thanks for the video. Just a little correction: the calculation for the electric is way off. 80+90 = 170W, not 1.7kW. I heard the 1.7kW and if those ran 24x7, that would be about $2000/yr in electric. 170W is more like $200/yr (@14¢/kWh).
how do I grow it......just water this thing I love it!
Great video.
You can use black soldier fly larvae as fish and chicken food. The larva lives on rotten fruit.
I don't know if Tilapia eats water greens. If so, you can use some duckweed as food for the fishes as they are easy and fast to grow.
+Ari Khorshid
exactly what I was going to say
and they also eat meat , and the matured fly's have no mouths their only goal is to lay eggs and die ...
11:06 lmao that chicken made me laugh.
Person:
"Want some food?"
*shows food*
Chicken:
"gimmie that"
*takes*
This is A.MA.ZING. I am so impressed by your cleverness and drive to do the right thing regarding the food we eat and making use of your yard. I love the way your mind is always working to come up with better ideas. GREAT JOB!!!!
That is awesome sunstainble urbarn farming is the way to go. Even good if you can make a living our off it. Most people have not clue where their food comes from. A lot of restaurant chefs are also going local.
What is the plant at 6:35 that sounds like Morita?
Very creative man. I admire how you reuse scraps to build amazing things. Love the quail idea, I will be borrowing it,thanks!You wouldn't be here if you stoped trying, so keep up the great work.
this guy is extremely resourceful everyone needs to drop out of prison sckools and start being real!
Give them jobs
Do you run air stones? roots look brown, it may help with that! :)
Aquaponic DWC very good, i also aquaponic DWC and mediaped systems, i like aquaponic systems. Very wonderful
HEY SCOTT do you thing i can get an email for an internship. i would love to set up an interview and learn your system.
80 + 90 is 170. Watts. In kw that's 0.17 about 1 kw/hr every 6 ish hours. Sounds like the price per day might be right though
Great job Scott. Very interesting. Have you considered a tired system, the same floor space can become 2 or 3 times the surface area! Good luck with the R&D.
composting bins and red wiggler worms and duckweed would seem to be more efficient than using meal minnows, i would think....
I wonder what would happen if one used oscars in a system like this. They are my favorite type of fish to look at but idk about eating them :)
Will everything die if the power goes out for a few days?
i hope this guy can make a full time job from this! i'd love to be his neighbour, i'd buy from him instead of the supermarket
Having my greens every day in my apt .... aquaponics is the answer !
Powerful.How can one get all the needed materials to start off the production.
Very interesting! Thank you for making this video!
This is inspirational. I hope to do something like this one day. Thanks so much for the video!
You could try Australian perch or its other name yellow belly,good eating and tough as nails.
A garden watered by LA acid rain, styrofoam, and a cigarette, nice vid.
So where do the plants get the 75 minerals they and we need for good health? It needs the addition of liquid kelp or kombu. In the system the plants will only take what they need and you get it in the nutritionally rich food.
could you do the same thing, BUT making it aeroponic towers, but still fish and spraying the fish poop water.
Muito bom meu amigo...Very good my friend!!!!! LIKED!!!!
Funny how the guy is smoking
Your awesomeness
How would this work in Phoenix where the temps get 115° ... I tried a small version and it just baked in the summer.
what's the name of the 38% proteic plant at 6:35 ?
Morenga, or horseradish tree; all parts edible & super nutritious. Delicious too
How can you keep the right temperture in the colder states to raise tilapia? Are there special commercial heating units and what will be the energy cost?
For cruelness fish farming gets a straight A.
great--thanks!
Doesn't styrofoam roofing insulation have harmful chemicals? Just wondering
You use the PVC pipes to build the arch greenhouse? Where can you buy the tilapia feed cheap? thanks
good and informative. producing organic food materials AT BACKYARD IS INCREDIBLE
In California you can only own 2 or more goats, it is illegal to own only 1. Some suburban areas allow it I know in san Diego u can own goats and have chickens.
Thank you...Good to know!! :))
Are they rescue pets?
Nice Bro, thanks. I live in Joshua Tree Cali, and want to create a commercial monster similar to you, and sell locally. I've been consuming moringa, and juicing for about 5 years, and I'm a 59 year old, pretty drunk lazy stoner, feel like I'm 20, diet, and moringa changed my world, and I want people to know. I am actually growing a moringa tree.
Beautiful
just watched your video . I started in 1993 . I had a conventional farm . paid off my market garden farm in 6 years. I have two big cash crops on my farm ginger and small cucumbers . Tomatoes peppers and eggplant round off my offerings. I live in the Binghamton , NY area. now that i m 68 years old I want to try hydroponic strawberries and lettuce. My back is too tired out to do cucumbers and tomatoes any more :)
U can survive without using meat as a source of protein. However, I've never seen a individual that wasn't very thin, pale, & lacking any ability to sustain physical & intense labor on a regular basis. A balanced nutritional diet must include meats. The difference is the type of meats u eat verses what type of live style u live. As a farmer we would of never survived the work necessary without hardy amounts of protein meats. Sadly, today there so little nutrients or nutritional value in our foods sold @ the supermarket today because it's being mass produced in synthetic substrate, fertilizers, & yes, much is now GMO.
Regardless of the studies done. I don't want any of that garbage on my plate @ home. If I can buy local food, flea market grown Organics then that's my choice. The animal is only as nutritious as what it's fed. Same with our own health. The goal many vegetarians have is to out live other folks & use that as proof it better to live meat free. But, I disagree. I'd rather live a healthier more productive life than squezze another 3-4 years by spending most of my life walking in the park & wine tasting classes on weekends.
Great job your doing! I can’t believe what is in our KOI food we feed our KOI. The ingredients are so bad I can’t figure out how they are surviving on it. :( Sweet chicken you have.
I would really enjoy meeting you guys as one of your Nieghbors. I really appreciate your enthusiasm for what your doing and would like to learn more about what you do
Great work. Better double-check that protein content of the moringa though - 38 - 39% is a bit higher than most studies show. In the leaves the content in about 25%, less in the stems. Depending on the variety and growing conditions 15 - 30% protein content for the whole plant is usual. More importantly, what are the amino acid (AA) bonds in the protein? If the human can not make the specific enzyme required to break those bonds, the amount of protein does not matter. If you can't break it down, the body can't use it - and, in fact, indigestible dipeptides (2 AAs) may hinder or impair the ability to adequately digest those AA bonds humans can break down. This, theoretically, could lead to a lowering of the available AA pool, given that the diet contains more than one source of protein. Also important is the ratio, and type, of AAs used to make the plant protein - the human body has a specific ratio of AA needed for each protein of which about 20 must be obtained by diet. If this plant uses AAs that are not usable by humans, it reduces the efficiency and if of the ones humans can use, there are one or two essential AAs missing, the body can not manufacture any protein the needs the missing AAs. This is why moringa works in India and Africa - because it is the main, if not the only, source of protein, it will only add to the AA pool.
I’m an accountant the only way to get a solid ROI is to build vertical towers as high as you comfortably can. DWC systems grow stuff quickly but take up too much real estate in expensive areas like SoCal
that poor hen :( Chickens are very social creatures and need others
Great story and I just hope that it doesn't become illegal as more people do it!! just saying. some in CA here that were living off power grid forced to get on grid!! just saying
Doesn't the polystyrene break down and contaminate the water?