Our second meeting of Bessemer Aquaponics will be on Wednesday, May 6, 2015, 7:00 PM in the empty field due west of the Guilford County Agricultural Extension Office 3309 Burlington Rd (Link to Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/P9cFn
) Long time residents will recognize it as the former location of the
Polio Hospital and a nursing home both torn down about 40 years ago and
left vacant ever sense.
What To Bring: a folding chair unless you prefer to stand. Friends.
Who is invited? Everyone who is interested in creating jobs and bringing quality food to Greensboro.
Now on to today's news:
This morning I met with Guilford County Agricultural Extension Agency Interum Director Karen Neill, Extension Agent John Ivey and Earline W Parmon, Director of Outreach for Congresswoman Alma S Adams. I'm happy to announce that all are in support of Bessemer Aquaponics and will be working to help us connect with the proper people, places and offices to get started growing.
The extension service reiterated that they are willing to bring in Aquaponics experts to guide us but that Bessemer Aquaponics and our community will be responsible for the management of the school and production facilities. Ms Parmon indicated there are USDA grants available.
Come on out and let's make Greensboro the first place in the nation where you can go to school to learn Aquaponics.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Sunday, April 26, 2015
It's Not A Food Desert, It's A Food Prison
Ron Finley of South Los Angeles’ is a guerilla gardener who believes you can grow your way out. At Bessemer Aquaponics we believe it too. And we believe Aquaponics is the answer for Greensboro where unlike South Los Angeles’we have winter.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
How Bessemer Was Born And The Site We've Chosen
And A History of The Community Bessemer Aquaponics Commemorates
First there was Julius Alexander Gray: http://ncpedia.org/biography/gray-julius-alexander one of Greensboro's earliest elites:
It goes on:
Continued:
And this one you don't hear often anymore:
That's right, Julius Gray and not the Cone Brothers. It was in-fact Gray who later managed those railroads his friend, Governor John Motley Morehead gets credit for bringing to Greensboro but it was John Motley Morehead who was the president of the NCRR establishing Greensboro's tradition of crony capitalism.
Gray didn't stop with railroads.
That's right, too much titanium. A problem any miner would love to have today. That steel mill was built on the site where the Cone Brothers built Cone Mills. Bessemer Avenue, Bessemer Elementary School and what was once Bessemer High School, Bessemer Jr High School as well as the Bessemer Community were all named for, according to the Guilford County Schools: http://bessemer.gcsnc.com/pages/Bessemer_Elementary/691590834055725010/About_Us
Funny, had the Cones not come here we might be in the titanium business today. It's also been reported that the Steel Mill graded 20 miles of streets before going out of business including Bessemer Avenue. While some will argue that point, Bessemer Avenue was known to exist before both the Cones and the City of Greensboro came to our community. And Bob Clendenin is right that Bessemer was named for the inventor of the Bessemer Process as there are no references to anyone named Bessemer in Greensboro history.
As the site of the steel mill was near where Bessemer Avenue intersects with Battleground Avenue, Bessemer originally extended in an arch that reached from Battleground Avenue east to about Penry Road (about 8 miles) and south to McConnell Road and included what we now call ORD, Woodmeer Park, Kings Forest, Aycock, the mill houses and almost everything east of Murrow Blvd. In the 1919 map of Greensboro below you'll note that Bessemer Avenue wasn't on the map despite the fact that Bessemer School first opened its doors in a one room schoolhouse on Bessemer Avenue in October of 1900.
An abandoned Bessemer rock quarry from which the stone was mined to build Greensboro's well known historic neighborhoods like Fisher Park, Irving Park, Aycock Historic District, College Hill and others remained unfilled until just a few years ago on the corner of Phillips and Lombardy. I used to play in that rock quarry as a child despite my mother having forbidden me to go there.
While most histories of Greensboro seem to be written in such a way as to make it appear there was nothing in the Bessemer Community prior to Greensboro. Even the News & Record seems not to acknowledge Bessemer in their list of Greensboro neighborhoods. But this photograph taken on Holts Chapel Road just about 300 feet south of East Market Street bears evidence that a community existed there long before most of Greensboro was ever built. Click on the photo to read the inscription or drive by as its still there.
Why is it a concern that references to Bessemer seem to be getting lost? Well let me put it this way, in this 2008 City of Greensboro survey of historic Greensboro neighborhoods the historic Glenwood neighborhood was left out and never considered for historic designation. Today 100 year old fully restored homes in Glenwood are being bulldozed. Glenwood was once under consideration to become the capitol of North Carolina. No properties in Bessemer have been given historic designation.
Yes, Bessemer was standing on its own long before Greensboro expanded its borders. From Textiles, Teachers and Troops:
In 1906 St. Leo’s Catholic Hospital opened in what was then Bessemer on the corner of Bessemer Avenue and Summit Ave. The first modern hospital in the area, St Leo's would become famous in 1914 when Charles and Will Mayo of the Mayo Clinic practiced surgery there. Greensboro would not annex the area until at least 1946 as evidenced by the fact that prior to 1946 the United States Army operated a military base there with properties that include the site chosen for Bessemer Aquaponics.
This blueprint from 1923 shows Bessemer Park just to the northeast of our chosen site with the County Home being shown in the top right corner. Rankin Avenue would eventually be renamed Hern Ave.
ORD (Overseas Replacement Depot) originally called AAF Basic Training Camp No. 10, opened on the southeast corner of Bessemer and Summit on March 1, 1943 and closed in 1946. The famous actor Charlton Heston was among the 9,000 men to be stationed there along with captured German POWs.
Bessemer High School made quite a name for the community as Bessemer Boys, known as the Whippets, were known far and wide for their athletics:
The Greensboro Yellow Pages from 1957 has 3 listings under Parks and Playgrounds. One of those listings is the Bessemer Community Center. Annexation was completed in 1958, the community center closed in the late 1960s and finally replaced a few years ago with Peeler Recreation Center on Sykes Avenue where the Bessemer Community had previously operated a baseball field.
The Bessemer Community Center was owned jointly by Bessemer Methodist Church, Bessemer Baptist Church and Bessemer Presbyterian Church. Built, I think in the 1950s, the building still stands today at what is now the dead end of Easton Road.
A block away from the community center the 31 man Bessemer Fire Department, one of the first in the state, was "listed as members of the North Carolina State Firemen's Association from 1945 through 1958."
While the Lee Street Biff-Burger (now Beef Burger) was built in 1961, by 1958, before annexation was completed, the Biff-Burger on Bessemer Avenue, Tasty Freeze on East Market and McDonalds on Summit had all already been built giving east Greensboro 3 fast food restaurants before Greensboro got its first. Monroe's Drive In on Bessemer Ave was also built before annexation.
On September 11, 1958, Clarks opened the first big box retailer in the Piedmont Triad in an old tobacco warehouse just a few hundred yards east of where the Agricultural Extension Office is located today. As it was the only place with air conditioning in those days the parking lot would often be filled with more bicycles than cars on hot summer days as children from all over Bessemer went there to cool down. The old warehouse that became Clarks still stands today.
So what happened to the Bessemer Community? From the City of Greensboro website: http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/index.aspx?page=1749
And from the book, Once Upon A City, a account attributed to former Mayor Jim Melvin:
As you can plainly see, Greensboro's greatest families, the Cones, Richardsons, Dillards and Benjamins, for which streets, parks, buildings and hospitals are named, all did their part to destroy the Bessemer Community.
And as evidenced in Bessemer Improvement Company vs the City of Greensboro, even the City took advantage of those who were working on behalf of Bessemer then passed the blame off on the state.
The site we have chosen for Bessemer Aquaponics has quite a bit of history of its own.
In the mid 1800s and early 1900s, Guilford County operated a retirement home there for people without means. On old maps and blueprints the property is referred to as County Home. A search of the Guilford County Register of Deeds indicates that the property we have chosen was bought by Guilford County in 1859 for $1140 and used as the County Home. References seem to indicate that someone else was already operating a "poor house" on said property.
In the 1940s the site was used by the United States Army as the recreation hall for the Overseas Replacement Depot-- the military base that was located in Bessemer during World War 2. As Greensboro's white USO club was located on North Elm and the Black USO club at Market and Dudley Streets this may have been the site of an officers club. Myself and many others remember the big white building that once stood behind the rock walls.
In 1950 a bowling alley was built where the Agricultural Service stands today. That building remains.
It would not be until 1958 that the City of Greensboro would annex these areas.
In the midst of the Polio outbreak of 1948 the Central Carolina Convalescent Hospital, known locally as the Polio Hospital, opened on Oct. 11, on the very same site with new buildings being added behind the existing building. The Central Carolina Convalescent Hospital was the first racially integrated hospital in the State of North Carolina. http://yesweekly.com/article-4702-1948-polio-epidemic.html
In 1963, and 1964 the site was used as classrooms for Bessemer Jr High School's 7th and 8th grades.
Also, in 1963 the Evergreens, North Carolina's largest non profit nursing home system opened their first facility on the site.
1963 was a busy and historic year for the site as demonstrating students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technological University were held in jail at what had been the Polio Hospital as well. A historic figure known today as the Reverend Jessie Jackson was one of those to be incarcerated there.
In 1968 the Agricultural Extension offices and demonstration farms were built on roughly 10 of the 33 acres. The rest remained abandoned. The Polio Hospital was destroyed shortly thereafter and most of the property was forgotten about. We believe because of the history and heritage of this site that no better use than an institution that not only teaches men to fish but teaches them how to build their own ponds should be built there.
First there was Julius Alexander Gray: http://ncpedia.org/biography/gray-julius-alexander one of Greensboro's earliest elites:
"Gray's early years were carefree; he never was exposed to systematic labor, and he enjoyed good health and a strong body. After attending Caldwell Institute near Greensboro, he studied with the Reverend Jesse Rankin in Lexington. He then entered Davidson College as a sophomore in 1850 and was graduated in 1853."
It goes on:
"In 1855, he became teller and bookkeeper of the Greensboro branch of the Bank of Cape Fear. The president of the bank was Jesse H. Lindsay, Gray's brother-in-law and a brother of Mrs. John Motley Morehead."
Continued:
"Because of Gray's strong support of Zebulon Vance for governor in the election of 1876, Vance appointed him a director of the North Carolina Railroad."
And this one you don't hear often anymore:
" Because of this remarkable achievement and Gray's other activities, Greensboro regarded him as the keystone of its prosperity."
That's right, Julius Gray and not the Cone Brothers. It was in-fact Gray who later managed those railroads his friend, Governor John Motley Morehead gets credit for bringing to Greensboro but it was John Motley Morehead who was the president of the NCRR establishing Greensboro's tradition of crony capitalism.
Gray didn't stop with railroads.
"In the 1880s Gray was also involved in ancillary business activities. In 1887, he helped to found the North Carolina Steel and Iron Company, which constructed blast furnaces in Greensboro in the hope of using native coal, iron ore, and limestone to make the city a steel center. The venture failed when the local iron ore proved to have too much titanium and was difficult to smelt."
That's right, too much titanium. A problem any miner would love to have today. That steel mill was built on the site where the Cone Brothers built Cone Mills. Bessemer Avenue, Bessemer Elementary School and what was once Bessemer High School, Bessemer Jr High School as well as the Bessemer Community were all named for, according to the Guilford County Schools: http://bessemer.gcsnc.com/pages/Bessemer_Elementary/691590834055725010/About_Us
"Sir Henry Bessemer, an English engineer and inventor, who founded the process for turning ore into steel. This was later know as the "Bessemer Process".
Funny, had the Cones not come here we might be in the titanium business today. It's also been reported that the Steel Mill graded 20 miles of streets before going out of business including Bessemer Avenue. While some will argue that point, Bessemer Avenue was known to exist before both the Cones and the City of Greensboro came to our community. And Bob Clendenin is right that Bessemer was named for the inventor of the Bessemer Process as there are no references to anyone named Bessemer in Greensboro history.
As the site of the steel mill was near where Bessemer Avenue intersects with Battleground Avenue, Bessemer originally extended in an arch that reached from Battleground Avenue east to about Penry Road (about 8 miles) and south to McConnell Road and included what we now call ORD, Woodmeer Park, Kings Forest, Aycock, the mill houses and almost everything east of Murrow Blvd. In the 1919 map of Greensboro below you'll note that Bessemer Avenue wasn't on the map despite the fact that Bessemer School first opened its doors in a one room schoolhouse on Bessemer Avenue in October of 1900.
An abandoned Bessemer rock quarry from which the stone was mined to build Greensboro's well known historic neighborhoods like Fisher Park, Irving Park, Aycock Historic District, College Hill and others remained unfilled until just a few years ago on the corner of Phillips and Lombardy. I used to play in that rock quarry as a child despite my mother having forbidden me to go there.
While most histories of Greensboro seem to be written in such a way as to make it appear there was nothing in the Bessemer Community prior to Greensboro. Even the News & Record seems not to acknowledge Bessemer in their list of Greensboro neighborhoods. But this photograph taken on Holts Chapel Road just about 300 feet south of East Market Street bears evidence that a community existed there long before most of Greensboro was ever built. Click on the photo to read the inscription or drive by as its still there.
Why is it a concern that references to Bessemer seem to be getting lost? Well let me put it this way, in this 2008 City of Greensboro survey of historic Greensboro neighborhoods the historic Glenwood neighborhood was left out and never considered for historic designation. Today 100 year old fully restored homes in Glenwood are being bulldozed. Glenwood was once under consideration to become the capitol of North Carolina. No properties in Bessemer have been given historic designation.
Yes, Bessemer was standing on its own long before Greensboro expanded its borders. From Textiles, Teachers and Troops:
In 1906 St. Leo’s Catholic Hospital opened in what was then Bessemer on the corner of Bessemer Avenue and Summit Ave. The first modern hospital in the area, St Leo's would become famous in 1914 when Charles and Will Mayo of the Mayo Clinic practiced surgery there. Greensboro would not annex the area until at least 1946 as evidenced by the fact that prior to 1946 the United States Army operated a military base there with properties that include the site chosen for Bessemer Aquaponics.
This blueprint from 1923 shows Bessemer Park just to the northeast of our chosen site with the County Home being shown in the top right corner. Rankin Avenue would eventually be renamed Hern Ave.
Photo courtesy of Terry A Wilson
ORD (Overseas Replacement Depot) originally called AAF Basic Training Camp No. 10, opened on the southeast corner of Bessemer and Summit on March 1, 1943 and closed in 1946. The famous actor Charlton Heston was among the 9,000 men to be stationed there along with captured German POWs.
Bessemer High School made quite a name for the community as Bessemer Boys, known as the Whippets, were known far and wide for their athletics:
"The Bessemer High School sports teams were known as the Whippets. Whippets are sleek but muscular hunting dogs prized for their speed, power and agility.
Bessemer football players certainly lived up to the image. They were a powerhouse in 6-man football in the 1940’s, then continued the tradition after switching to an 11-player team in 1945. They were the North Carolina State Champions in 6-man football in 1941. In the 1950’s & 60’s, they made four trips to the State Finals game, but a second football State Championship eluded them. Still, being four time State Runners-Up is an accomplishment of which any school can be proud.
1941 – 6-man State Champions 1953 – State Runner-up (lost to Massey Hill, 20-0)
1954 – State Runner-up (lost to Edenton, 41-20)
1958 – State Runner-up (lost to Williamston, 26-20)
1962 – State Runner-Up (lost to Brevard, 19-13)
The Bessemer baseball team gave the school a going away present in 1963. The Whippets won the State Championship by defeating Chapel Hill, 5-2."
The Greensboro Yellow Pages from 1957 has 3 listings under Parks and Playgrounds. One of those listings is the Bessemer Community Center. Annexation was completed in 1958, the community center closed in the late 1960s and finally replaced a few years ago with Peeler Recreation Center on Sykes Avenue where the Bessemer Community had previously operated a baseball field.
The Bessemer Community Center was owned jointly by Bessemer Methodist Church, Bessemer Baptist Church and Bessemer Presbyterian Church. Built, I think in the 1950s, the building still stands today at what is now the dead end of Easton Road.
A block away from the community center the 31 man Bessemer Fire Department, one of the first in the state, was "listed as members of the North Carolina State Firemen's Association from 1945 through 1958."
While the Lee Street Biff-Burger (now Beef Burger) was built in 1961, by 1958, before annexation was completed, the Biff-Burger on Bessemer Avenue, Tasty Freeze on East Market and McDonalds on Summit had all already been built giving east Greensboro 3 fast food restaurants before Greensboro got its first. Monroe's Drive In on Bessemer Ave was also built before annexation.
On September 11, 1958, Clarks opened the first big box retailer in the Piedmont Triad in an old tobacco warehouse just a few hundred yards east of where the Agricultural Extension Office is located today. As it was the only place with air conditioning in those days the parking lot would often be filled with more bicycles than cars on hot summer days as children from all over Bessemer went there to cool down. The old warehouse that became Clarks still stands today.
So what happened to the Bessemer Community? From the City of Greensboro website: http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/index.aspx?page=1749
"From the turn of the century to the late 1950s, the East Market Street Corridor flourished. It was the shopping and social center for many of Greensboro's African Americans, who owned businesses on the street and provided services to those shut out by segregation practices in other Greensboro neighborhoods.
This lively community began to wind down in the late 1950s and 1960s when, under the guise of "urban renewal," thousands of people and more than 80 businesses (many minority-owned) were displaced. Most of those businesses never reestablished."
And from the book, Once Upon A City, a account attributed to former Mayor Jim Melvin:
As you can plainly see, Greensboro's greatest families, the Cones, Richardsons, Dillards and Benjamins, for which streets, parks, buildings and hospitals are named, all did their part to destroy the Bessemer Community.
And as evidenced in Bessemer Improvement Company vs the City of Greensboro, even the City took advantage of those who were working on behalf of Bessemer then passed the blame off on the state.
The site we have chosen for Bessemer Aquaponics has quite a bit of history of its own.
In the mid 1800s and early 1900s, Guilford County operated a retirement home there for people without means. On old maps and blueprints the property is referred to as County Home. A search of the Guilford County Register of Deeds indicates that the property we have chosen was bought by Guilford County in 1859 for $1140 and used as the County Home. References seem to indicate that someone else was already operating a "poor house" on said property.
In the 1940s the site was used by the United States Army as the recreation hall for the Overseas Replacement Depot-- the military base that was located in Bessemer during World War 2. As Greensboro's white USO club was located on North Elm and the Black USO club at Market and Dudley Streets this may have been the site of an officers club. Myself and many others remember the big white building that once stood behind the rock walls.
In 1950 a bowling alley was built where the Agricultural Service stands today. That building remains.
It would not be until 1958 that the City of Greensboro would annex these areas.
In the midst of the Polio outbreak of 1948 the Central Carolina Convalescent Hospital, known locally as the Polio Hospital, opened on Oct. 11, on the very same site with new buildings being added behind the existing building. The Central Carolina Convalescent Hospital was the first racially integrated hospital in the State of North Carolina. http://yesweekly.com/article-4702-1948-polio-epidemic.html
In 1963, and 1964 the site was used as classrooms for Bessemer Jr High School's 7th and 8th grades.
Also, in 1963 the Evergreens, North Carolina's largest non profit nursing home system opened their first facility on the site.
1963 was a busy and historic year for the site as demonstrating students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technological University were held in jail at what had been the Polio Hospital as well. A historic figure known today as the Reverend Jessie Jackson was one of those to be incarcerated there.
In 1968 the Agricultural Extension offices and demonstration farms were built on roughly 10 of the 33 acres. The rest remained abandoned. The Polio Hospital was destroyed shortly thereafter and most of the property was forgotten about. We believe because of the history and heritage of this site that no better use than an institution that not only teaches men to fish but teaches them how to build their own ponds should be built there.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Represenative Pricey Harrison Offers Support
I got the following e-mail today after inviting Congresswoman Pricey Harrison and others to a closed meeting coming up soon:
It's good to know that Congresswoman Harrison, like Alma Adams, is truly interested in real economic development for Greensboro, the Piedmont Triad and all of North Carolina.
"Thanks for your continued tenacious advocacy on this.
I don't think I can be there on April 27 but please let me know how I can help.
Pricey"
It's good to know that Congresswoman Harrison, like Alma Adams, is truly interested in real economic development for Greensboro, the Piedmont Triad and all of North Carolina.
What's Wrong With This Picture?
Modern Aquaponics was developed at North Carolina State University at taxpayers' expense 30 plus years ago. The world's foremost experts in Aquaponics still work for NC State. Experts are teaching Aquaponics in Eastford, Connecticut via the UConn Extension Master Gardener program.
Kentucky State University is pitching the idea that Aquaponics can create jobs and grow more food.
Folks in London, England are practicing Aquaponics on a commercial scale inside old commercial buildings.
In Chattanooga, Tennessee they are using Aquaponics to "engage individuals with significant cognitive disabilities and provide training support in activities of daily living," and calling it the food of the future.
In Oklahoma the Indian Nations of the Seminole, Choctaw, Cheyenne and Arapahoe are all going Aquaponic.
In Berlin, Germany:
I'm even trying Aquaponics in a small home built system in my back yard.
But here in Greensboro, North Carolina, in the Metropolitan Statistical Area ranked #1 in the United States for the highest level of food insecurity, in the very state where our tax dollars helped to develop modern aquaponics-- if we want Aquaponic fish and vegetables we have to import them.
If we want to be educated in Aquaponics we have to leave Greensboro. There's no place to take a class, no place to see Aquaponics in action or get hands-on experience. This is what Bessemer Aquaponics seeks to become.
Please tell our elected leaders to support this effort and share this article with everyone you know as one solution to Greensboro's food crisis and economic woes. It's time we became a leader instead of the last in line getting nothing but the scraps left behind.
Kentucky State University is pitching the idea that Aquaponics can create jobs and grow more food.
Folks in London, England are practicing Aquaponics on a commercial scale inside old commercial buildings.
In Chattanooga, Tennessee they are using Aquaponics to "engage individuals with significant cognitive disabilities and provide training support in activities of daily living," and calling it the food of the future.
In Oklahoma the Indian Nations of the Seminole, Choctaw, Cheyenne and Arapahoe are all going Aquaponic.
In Berlin, Germany:
"Berlin has opened its first commercial aquaponic farm combining aquaculture and hydroponics. The farm is still only small - delivering up to 300 boxes of organic produce per week - in a city of 3.5 million people. But as food security becomes a bigger global concern, aquaponics has the potential to revolutionize food production in cities"
I'm even trying Aquaponics in a small home built system in my back yard.
But here in Greensboro, North Carolina, in the Metropolitan Statistical Area ranked #1 in the United States for the highest level of food insecurity, in the very state where our tax dollars helped to develop modern aquaponics-- if we want Aquaponic fish and vegetables we have to import them.
If we want to be educated in Aquaponics we have to leave Greensboro. There's no place to take a class, no place to see Aquaponics in action or get hands-on experience. This is what Bessemer Aquaponics seeks to become.
Please tell our elected leaders to support this effort and share this article with everyone you know as one solution to Greensboro's food crisis and economic woes. It's time we became a leader instead of the last in line getting nothing but the scraps left behind.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Congresswoman Alma Adams Is Interested
I got the following e-mail today:
It's nice to know someone in politics sees there is potential in this idea. I am currently working on scheduling a meeting with Congresswoman Alma Adams and/or her staff members. I'll let you know how it goes.
"Hi Bill,I hope this email finds you well. I handle agriculture and food insecurity issues for Congresswoman Alma Adams. I saw your post about Bessemer Aquaponics. I know our staff missed the first public meeting last week on April 8th, but we would like to get in touch with you about the Congresswoman or our staff meeting with you to discuss the business, your collaboration with the Guilford County Extension office, and how we can help.Sincerely,James HauserLegislative AssistantRep. Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12)222 Cannon House Office Building"
It's nice to know someone in politics sees there is potential in this idea. I am currently working on scheduling a meeting with Congresswoman Alma Adams and/or her staff members. I'll let you know how it goes.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
How Does Aquaponics Work?
A simplified explanation...
Take a pot of clean fresh water.
Put a fish in it.
Feed the fish.
When the water gets dirty then pour that water on a potted plant that is potted in such a way so that the excess water can be captured as it slowly drains out of the plant pot. A lot of sand in the pot might do the trick.
Replace the dirty fish water with clean fresh water.
Repeat that process as often as necessary to keep both fish and plant growing healthy and strong.
That approach would probably work with just 1 fish and perhaps 1 plant. And maybe as your fish got bigger you could add more plants. The fish excrement would provide the necessary nutrients to feed the plant and the plant would filter the water so that it remained safe for the fish just as plants and fish coexist in nature.
Problem is: when you add a second fish and a third, a forth, a fifth and eventually you've got thousands of fish... Wait, that will never happen. There's no way you can pour water from pot to pot that fast doing it by hand, you'll end up having a fish kill long before you get to thousands of fish. At least, you'd better hope your fish kill comes early.
At some point you're going to need an electric powered pumping system to pump the excrement and nutrient rich water up to the plants where gravity can let it fall back down to the fish tank. At some point you're probably going to need filters to improve water quality to keep your fish healthy. And you're almost certain to need to add oxygen to the water to support the large numbers of fish you'll be stocking in your tanks.
Aquaponics simply mimics the natural cycle of water contaminated with animal waste to compost to plant food to clean water returned to the pond. The difference is: in Aquaponics we use technology to push the boundaries and increase production of fish and plants. What we're really doing is concentrating and speeding up the process.
From Wikipedia:
Also from Wikipedia:
That's right, modern Aquaponics was pioneered here in North Carolina over 30 years ago at taxpayer expense. I think it's time we capitalized on it.
Take a pot of clean fresh water.
Put a fish in it.
Feed the fish.
When the water gets dirty then pour that water on a potted plant that is potted in such a way so that the excess water can be captured as it slowly drains out of the plant pot. A lot of sand in the pot might do the trick.
Replace the dirty fish water with clean fresh water.
Repeat that process as often as necessary to keep both fish and plant growing healthy and strong.
That approach would probably work with just 1 fish and perhaps 1 plant. And maybe as your fish got bigger you could add more plants. The fish excrement would provide the necessary nutrients to feed the plant and the plant would filter the water so that it remained safe for the fish just as plants and fish coexist in nature.
Problem is: when you add a second fish and a third, a forth, a fifth and eventually you've got thousands of fish... Wait, that will never happen. There's no way you can pour water from pot to pot that fast doing it by hand, you'll end up having a fish kill long before you get to thousands of fish. At least, you'd better hope your fish kill comes early.
At some point you're going to need an electric powered pumping system to pump the excrement and nutrient rich water up to the plants where gravity can let it fall back down to the fish tank. At some point you're probably going to need filters to improve water quality to keep your fish healthy. And you're almost certain to need to add oxygen to the water to support the large numbers of fish you'll be stocking in your tanks.
Aquaponics simply mimics the natural cycle of water contaminated with animal waste to compost to plant food to clean water returned to the pond. The difference is: in Aquaponics we use technology to push the boundaries and increase production of fish and plants. What we're really doing is concentrating and speeding up the process.
From Wikipedia:
"Aquaponics /ˈækwəˈpɒnɨks/, is a food production system that combines conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. In normal aquaculture, excretions from the animals being raised can accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity. In an aquaponic system, water from an aquaculture system is fed to a hydroponic system where the by-products are broken down by nitrification bacteria into nitrates and nitrites, which are utilized by the plants as nutrients. The water is then recirculated back to the aquaculture system."
Also from Wikipedia:
"The development of modern aquaponics is often attributed to the various works of the New Alchemy Institute and the works of Dr. Mark McMurtry et al. at the North Carolina State University."
That's right, modern Aquaponics was pioneered here in North Carolina over 30 years ago at taxpayer expense. I think it's time we capitalized on it.
Monday, April 13, 2015
So How Much Food Can We Grow?
The answer varies but the following video from Growing Power, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin non profit founded by retired ABA basketball professional Will Allen shows how they grow 1 million pounds of food per year on 3 acres.
Will Allen only has 3 acres to work with. The track of land we are looking at is over 20 acres-- 33 actually, but part of it is in use.
And remember: the intention of Bessemer Aquaponics is to teach others how to do Aquaponics so that Greensboro, the Piedmont Triad and North Carolina Aquaponics businesses, farms and suppliers can start up with qualified and experienced managers and employees be they urban or rural.
Are you a Facebook user? If yes then check out our Bessemer Aquaponics Facebook page.
Will Allen only has 3 acres to work with. The track of land we are looking at is over 20 acres-- 33 actually, but part of it is in use.
And remember: the intention of Bessemer Aquaponics is to teach others how to do Aquaponics so that Greensboro, the Piedmont Triad and North Carolina Aquaponics businesses, farms and suppliers can start up with qualified and experienced managers and employees be they urban or rural.
Are you a Facebook user? If yes then check out our Bessemer Aquaponics Facebook page.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Interesting And Enlightening Facts About Aquaponics
*Aquaponics uses only 2% of the water as is required by conventional agriculture to grow the same vegetable harvest. Plus you get fish.
*A well designed Aquaponics system uses far less energy than conventional farming.
*Properly designed and managed Aquaponics systems have zero waste, discharge and environmental impact as all wastes are converted to useable products.
*Aquaponics can be done indoors in abandoned industrial and commercial buildings.
*Aquaponics can be done in small spaces.
*Root crops like carrots and beets have been successfully raised using Aquaponics.
*While first used thousands of years ago by the ancient Aztecs and 5,000 years ago in Asia, modern Aquaponics is attributed to the New Alchemy Institute and Dr. Mark McMurtry et al. at North Carolina State University.
*What kind of plants can you grow? From Wikipedia:
*What kinds of fish can you raise? Again, from Wikipedia:
*Some experiments with raising salt water fish and seafood with Kelp are also being done in some Aquaponics operations.
*Aquaponics facilities can be placed closer to actual markets than conventional farms and can actually be placed right in the neighborhoods they serve reducing the need for transportation, storage and refrigeration.
*Aquaponics is always organic.
*The use of Aquaponics gives us better control over our food supply.
*85% of the fish and seafood sold in the USA is imported. Some countries that export fish to the United States raise their fish on a diet of manure or in sewers. While our government may consider such practices safe we at Bessemer Aquaponics believe we can and will do better.
*How does Aquaponics compare to traditional agriculture?
*A well designed Aquaponics system uses far less energy than conventional farming.
*Properly designed and managed Aquaponics systems have zero waste, discharge and environmental impact as all wastes are converted to useable products.
*Aquaponics can be done indoors in abandoned industrial and commercial buildings.
*Aquaponics can be done in small spaces.
*Root crops like carrots and beets have been successfully raised using Aquaponics.
*While first used thousands of years ago by the ancient Aztecs and 5,000 years ago in Asia, modern Aquaponics is attributed to the New Alchemy Institute and Dr. Mark McMurtry et al. at North Carolina State University.
*What kind of plants can you grow? From Wikipedia:
"Most green leaf vegetables grow well in the hydroponic subsystem, although most profitable are varieties of chinese cabbage, lettuce, basil, roses, tomatoes, okra, cantaloupe and bell peppers.[23] Other species of vegetables that grow well in an aquaponic system include beans, peas, kohlrabi, watercress, taro, radishes, strawberries, melons, onions, turnips, parsnips, sweet potato and herbs.[citation needed] Since plants at different growth stages require different amounts of minerals and nutrients, plant harvesting is staggered with seedings growing at the same time as mature plants. This ensures stable nutrient content in the water because of continuous symbiotic cleansing of toxins from the water.[25]"
*What kinds of fish can you raise? Again, from Wikipedia:
"Freshwater fish are the most common aquatic animal raised using aquaponics, although freshwater crayfish and prawns are also sometimes used.[26] In practice, tilapia are the most popular fish for home and commercial projects that are intended to raise edible fish, although barramundi, silver perch, eel-tailed catfish or tandanus catfish, jade perch and Murray cod are also used.[23] For temperate climates when there isn't ability or desire to maintain water temperature, bluegill and catfish are suitable fish species for home systems. Koi and goldfish may also be used, if the fish in the system need not be edible."
*Some experiments with raising salt water fish and seafood with Kelp are also being done in some Aquaponics operations.
*Aquaponics facilities can be placed closer to actual markets than conventional farms and can actually be placed right in the neighborhoods they serve reducing the need for transportation, storage and refrigeration.
*Aquaponics is always organic.
*The use of Aquaponics gives us better control over our food supply.
*85% of the fish and seafood sold in the USA is imported. Some countries that export fish to the United States raise their fish on a diet of manure or in sewers. While our government may consider such practices safe we at Bessemer Aquaponics believe we can and will do better.
*How does Aquaponics compare to traditional agriculture?
“It grows six times as much food as a traditional farm would in the same amount the space, but it’s using less than a tenth of the amount of water,” -- Kevin Jones, science instructor at Randolph Community College.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Come Join Us Wednesday Night
When Wednesday: Wednesday April 8, 2014 6:00 PM
Where: Outside in the vacant lot due west of the Guilford County Agricultural Extension Office 3309 Burlington Rd (Link to Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/P9cFn ) Long time residents will recognize it as the former location of the Polio Hospital and a nursing home both torn down about 40 years ago and left vacant ever sense. Parking is available at the Agricultural Extension Center.
What To Bring: a folding chair unless you prefer to stand.
John Ivey of the Agricultural Extension Service and I will be there along with anyone else we can wrangle in support of the project. The 33 acre site we'll be meeting on is where we HOPE to place the first location of Bessemer Aquaponics before expanding to other locations in other food deserts and low income neighborhoods all over Greensboro, the Piedmont Triad and the State of North Carolina.
Our first goal is to create a learning institution where residents from Greensboro and beyond can quickly learn how to build low cost Aquaponics systems of their own while supporting our project with the products grown on site.
Our intermediate goal is to address food deserts and the lack of employment locally.
Our long term goal is to make Greensboro, the Piedmont Triad and North Carolina the world's leader in Aquaponics and a major exporter of healthy foods.
Come join us and let's talk about how we can make that possible.
And please tell all your friends to come too.
What's that, you say you don't like fish? What if I told you this project has the potential to make chicken, beef, pork and vegetables more affordable? Would that get your attention? Come on out and I'll explain how.
Where: Outside in the vacant lot due west of the Guilford County Agricultural Extension Office 3309 Burlington Rd (Link to Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/P9cFn ) Long time residents will recognize it as the former location of the Polio Hospital and a nursing home both torn down about 40 years ago and left vacant ever sense. Parking is available at the Agricultural Extension Center.
What To Bring: a folding chair unless you prefer to stand.
John Ivey of the Agricultural Extension Service and I will be there along with anyone else we can wrangle in support of the project. The 33 acre site we'll be meeting on is where we HOPE to place the first location of Bessemer Aquaponics before expanding to other locations in other food deserts and low income neighborhoods all over Greensboro, the Piedmont Triad and the State of North Carolina.
Our first goal is to create a learning institution where residents from Greensboro and beyond can quickly learn how to build low cost Aquaponics systems of their own while supporting our project with the products grown on site.
Our intermediate goal is to address food deserts and the lack of employment locally.
Our long term goal is to make Greensboro, the Piedmont Triad and North Carolina the world's leader in Aquaponics and a major exporter of healthy foods.
Come join us and let's talk about how we can make that possible.
And please tell all your friends to come too.
What's that, you say you don't like fish? What if I told you this project has the potential to make chicken, beef, pork and vegetables more affordable? Would that get your attention? Come on out and I'll explain how.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Our First Meeting
When Wednesday: Wednesday April 8, 2014 6:00 PM
Where: In the vacant lot due east of the Guilford County Agricultural Extension Office 3309 Burlington Rd (Link to Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/P9cFn ) Long time residents will recognize it as the former location of the Polio Hospital and a nursing home both torn down about 40 years ago and left vacant ever sense.
Where: In the vacant lot due east of the Guilford County Agricultural Extension Office 3309 Burlington Rd (Link to Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/P9cFn ) Long time residents will recognize it as the former location of the Polio Hospital and a nursing home both torn down about 40 years ago and left vacant ever sense.
What To Bring: a folding chair unless you prefer to stand.
John Ivey of the Agricultural Extension Service and I will be there along with anyone else we can wrangle in support of the project. The 33 acre site we'll be meeting on is where we HOPE to place the first location of Bessemer Aquaponics before expanding to other locations in other food deserts and low income neighborhoods all over Greensboro, the Piedmont Triad and the State of North Carolina.
Please come and show your support, find out what aquaponics is all about, share in our vision and consider investing and or volunteering someday.
And please share this post with everyone you know. Let's put Greensboro to work and healthy food in our children in a for profit venture anyone can be a part of.
Thanks
-Billy
John Ivey of the Agricultural Extension Service and I will be there along with anyone else we can wrangle in support of the project. The 33 acre site we'll be meeting on is where we HOPE to place the first location of Bessemer Aquaponics before expanding to other locations in other food deserts and low income neighborhoods all over Greensboro, the Piedmont Triad and the State of North Carolina.
Please come and show your support, find out what aquaponics is all about, share in our vision and consider investing and or volunteering someday.
And please share this post with everyone you know. Let's put Greensboro to work and healthy food in our children in a for profit venture anyone can be a part of.
Thanks
-Billy
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