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For those who do not know, Aquaponics is when you grow fish and produce in a closed loop ecosystem with no soil and all nutrients are passed via water.
I have for many years been interested in the idea for sustainable living. But I am now considering it as a business venture. It is doable to be completely organic and Yield substantial produce and fish. It can be done completely indoors and mostly vertical.
Is the business and municipal atmosphere in CDA and Sandpoint areas conducive to this sort of thing. Would the local people be interested in food produced this way? Are there farmers markets to start up in and get rolling low scale as things get started?
I would be able to start the ball rolling this summer possibly. It just depends on weather I am able to find affordable land to set up on.
There is a very large aquaponic trout farm that has been in operation for decades here, but it's close to Twin Falls in the southern half of the state.
I don't know much about it other than it draws its water from the Snake river, and it's a closed loop system that cleans the water before it re-enters the Snake. The Snake is the largest river in the state, and one of the largest in the region. It's location is closer to the Snake's headwaters than the river's northern passage, which goes up to Washington state before the Snake joins the Columbia east of Portland in the Columbia river gorge.
The farm's location may have been chosen for the fish they wanted to raise; trout require a lot of cold fresh water. Trout also command premium prices as a very rare commercial fish. While I'm not certain, I believe the same farm also sells black bass, which is native to that area as well and do fine in dirtier waters.
The location may also have been selected for it's accessability; it's close to a north-south Interstate and an east-west Interstate- the only junction area I know of in the state.
There is a very large aquaponic trout farm that has been in operation for decades here, but it's close to Twin Falls in the southern half of the state.
I don't know much about it other than it draws its water from the Snake river, and it's a closed loop system that cleans the water before it re-enters the Snake. The Snake is the largest river in the state, and one of the largest in the region. It's location is closer to the Snake's headwaters than the river's northern passage, which goes up to Washington state before the Snake joins the Columbia east of Portland in the Columbia river gorge.
The farm's location may have been chosen for the fish they wanted to raise; trout require a lot of cold fresh water. Trout also command premium prices as a very rare commercial fish. While I'm not certain, I believe the same farm also sells black bass, which is native to that area as well and do fine in dirtier waters.
The location may also have been selected for it's accessibility; it's close to a north-south Interstate and an east-west Interstate- the only junction area I know of in the state.
Are you sure it is AQUAPONIC? And not just a fish farm. I think I have seen it on the map when I was scouting about. If they do not grow vegetables then it is not. Also. a closed loop does not bring in or send water back out. It recycles the same water. The water that the fish live in is pumped out a few times an hour and ran through a series of ecofiltration vats that break down solid waste and in the end nutrient rich water is pumped into tanks where vegetation has its roots in the water. That water gets cycled back to the fish.
Aquaponics is fish and plants with no soil, only water. hydroponics is plants with no soil, only water. Pisciculture is raising fish in tanks as food.
Most of the aquaponic species are warmer water creatures. It's cold in CDA/ Sandpoint and you would either have to heat water or else grow cold water species, which tend to not do as well in confinement as things like Tilapia or shrimp.
There is plenty of water available, but you would need permits and I have no idea what that would involve.
If it is a completely closed system, then the problem becomes how to keep the water cold in the summer. Weather can get rather warm in the summer.
I'm sure there are ways around all difficulties, but there are difficulties and that is why it is not a common practice.
I think there is a good strong healthy market for hydroponic vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Trout, maybe. Tilapia, not so much.
Most of the aquaponic species are warmer water creatures. It's cold in CDA/ Sandpoint and you would either have to heat water or else grow cold water species, which tend to not do as well in confinement as things like Tilapia or shrimp.
There is plenty of water available, but you would need permits and I have no idea what that would involve.
If it is a completely closed system, then the problem becomes how to keep the water cold in the summer. Weather can get rather warm in the summer.
I'm sure there are ways around all difficulties, but there are difficulties and that is why it is not a common practice.
I think there is a good strong healthy market for hydroponic vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Trout, maybe. Tilapia, not so much.
Completely indoors and climate controlled operation. The opposite problems exist in places that don't have the cold. Either way you have to mitigate by controlling the climate inside commercial greenhouses. No matter what business you go into, there will be permits and licences and certifications. I challenge anyone to try and start up any business in comifornistania if you want to experience bureaucratic adversity.
Would need to be good at growing / raising, mechanics, hygene, logistics and marketing. I'd really research deep, visit / work for other operations before committing to your own commercial operation. If you go head first without working for someone else, you might be gambling that you are a natural born genius with it all or are prepared to make possibly expensive mistakes to get to break even then viable. Do the full business plan before starting and have it reviewed by those who have done this exact business. Don't just wade into it casually one step, one investment at a time.
Competition is big businesses, China, Mexico and the small companies with a 5-10 plus year head start. Make an informed decision about specific market viabilities for the fish and plants for that location. Know how much time it will take all around to do everything and the scale needed to make a decent net income and wage / hour. How many tons of produce & fish to make $50,000 net or whatever? How much investment to produce that. (What can you buy used and what should be new / top of the line?)
Seemingly small misstep or system imbalance could wipe out lots of product and perhaps the whole investment.
I wouldn't do it unless you plan to invest the time to become an expert and do it long-term.
I knew a guy in North Carolina who ran a pretty big trout operation (not exactly the same, but related). He was pretty successful for a long time but the price he could get for trout fell dramatically, stayed down and he eventually gave it up. His kids wouldn't take over the business and no one bought it either. He may eventually sell the farm but all the investment in the abandoned trout facilities may not get a return. Stayed afloat for awhile being a consultant to people less expert than him but a lot of them got flushed out by competition and low prices too.
My perspective comes mainly from the Sandpoint/Bonner County area, since that's where we live.
There are a number of farmer's markets in north Idaho - Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, Athol all have at least one good framer's market, and there are perhaps others. Most only run in the warmer months, but there are some indoor markets that are open year round that feature locally raised meats and home made items year round. Quite a few local producers are engaged in Community Supported Agriculture programs where you buy a subscription for the season and they deliver a basket of fresh products (produce, eggs, sometimes dairy and meats) each week.
It's quite common for people to be avid vegetable gardener's up here. Many of the people I know are fairly serious vegetable gardeners, and many have small orchards as well as growing a variety of small fruits (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.). The Bonner County Gardeners group is very active in the Sandpoint area.
The fishing in north Idaho is generally very good. If you want to eat fresh fish, it's not too difficult to catch your own. In Sandpoint there is a good fishmonger who brings in sea food from the coast. With a little planning he will order what you want, so despite the fact that we aren't very close to the ocean, you can get some good seafood in town.
If you want to put the time into foraging, you can pick huckleberries, and harvest morels and other varieties of mushrooms in the area.
There is a reasonably strong food culture in north Idaho, and people like being close to their food sources. All of that would indicate there is market demand and that a venture like this might be successful.
But, OTOH, you would have lots of competition, people who have been living here and engaged in similar ventures for a while. They have established customer relationships in place. They understand how to best deal with the vagaries of our sometimes difficult climate.
I'm not trying to throw cold water all over your idea, but I suggest you go into something like this with your eyes wide open. As with your storage unit idea, it's clear there is a market for it in this area, but it's equally clear that market need is already being addressed. IMO, whether there is room for more suppliers would depend on what sort of product or service differentiation you can offer compared to what's already here. I'd also note that the number of active members on this group from north Idaho is too small to rely on as a sole basis for market research.
If you are interested, there is a very good class in sustainable farming (think, sustainable from an economic/business perspective) taught each winter by the U of I extension program. All the teachers are people who are engaged in ventures such as I described above, and they offer a wealth of local knowledge.
Are you sure it is AQUAPONIC? And not just a fish farm. I think I have seen it on the map when I was scouting about. If they do not grow vegetables then it is not. Also. a closed loop does not bring in or send water back out. It recycles the same water. The water that the fish live in is pumped out a few times an hour and ran through a series of ecofiltration vats that break down solid waste and in the end nutrient rich water is pumped into tanks where vegetation has its roots in the water. That water gets cycled back to the fish.
Aquaponics is fish and plants with no soil, only water. hydroponics is plants with no soil, only water. Pisciculture is raising fish in tanks as food.
I don't know if the fish farm is growing crops, but the solid waste is being filtered out and is sold as fertilizer to local farms. The loop is not entirely closed, as some water evaporates in their process, as the trout are in open 'vats' (for want of a better term).
They are swimming against a steady current of recycled water, which imitates their natural conditions in the wild. Trout need cold clean water that's highly oxygenated to taste their best.
Like I said, I don't know very much about the farm. I've gone by it many times, and I stopped a few times to ask a few questions and take a short look-over out of curiosity.
Since Idaho is native to several trout species, I only guess that the company that owns the farm chose them to raise over other species; trout must be profitable enough, as the farm's been in biz a long time now, but I have no idea as to how large the market is, how vulnerable it is to the ups and downs of agriculture, or even if that farm is a major supplier to the market.
The area is full of natural springs. They're everywhere in the little Hagerman valley, and that may be the sole reason the farm is located where it is.
Just to add to several excellent posts in this thread, viability is dramatically improved if you can find markets outside of the region. Any unmet local demand is likely to be modest in $ terms. So serving the local population is 1/2 a labor of love and 1/4 a secondary source of income. Making it a viable business to replace a good paying job or to meet aspirations will not be easy unless you can sell to outside markets. A major caveat is seasonal selling to the population bulge from tourism, mainly summer.
There is a family in Eastern Idaho that is raising and selling bullfrogs. He's selling them for medical research, not to eat, but he mentions $55 a pound for the frogs. It sounds like they are very tricky to raise, though. It also does not sound like a closed system because he mentions piping in water from a cold water spring
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