Our Resource File Where we keep bits and pieces that are relevant to this project but are not part of the manual. Sand Garden Academy (SGA) Outline, draft 2.0 (first gasp) Preface : How this introductory course will proceed, strongly…
Have you ever wondered why some people experience a successful and satisfying life while others just seem destined for poverty and misery? You may consider that it’s a good education, hard work, and rich parents. And there’s no doubt, they…
In early 2020, as a global pandemic passed across the world, I embarked on a quest to understand more about the most commonly available substance on the surface of the planet…sand! My sand story actually began in 2014 when I…
The legacy of iAVs being the subject of properly constituted research trials is that we have so much validated information available on the method…something that’s not available for most other growing systems. Remember, the numbers cited in this article are…
Aspiring iAVs operators are often confused about how to approach their first build. We always recommend that newcomers to the method start with something small…a fish tank of 500 to 1000 litres and a sand biofilter/grow bed of 1000 –…
To say that one’s own time is finite is a blinding flash of the obvious. Much less obvious for most of us, however, is the question of time as it relates to the planet…or, more specifically, the amount of time…
The United Nations has stated that, if we are to meet the food needs of the projected population, food production will have to double by 2050. A formidable task of itself, this goal is further complicated by some serious environment…
Steve Diver’s ATTRA aquaponics document was one of the very few general information sources pertaining to aquaponics – leading up to its renaissance in the mid-2000’s. My recent re-reading of this document revealed some interesting insights including: My initial impression of…
One of our motivations in developing this site, is to have Aquaponics become a scientific discipline – subject to valid inquiry and elucidation – via the scientific method. The goal of Science is to know as many true things – and as…
It’s a good question – but it’s one for which there is no simple answer. Some of the factors that have impacted the visibility of iAVs include: Other commercial models (notably the UVI model) gained traction through 30 years of…
Most people who are interested in aquaponics know that Missouri farmers Tom and Paula Speraneo popularized what is commonly termed flood and drain aquaponics. For the uninitiated, flood and drain aquaponics in its simplest guise comprises a fish tank and…
There are many reasons for choosing iAVs as a food production strategy. Broadly speaking, iAVs is simpler to build and easier to use. It also requires few resources and has less of an impact on the environment. More food…
iAVs had its roots in a quest to develop a new method of agriculture for arid-zone underdeveloped regions such as the African Sahel. While the following images depict the development of such a low-cost, low-tech iAVs, a similar system can meet the needs…
The following ‘tale’ is of two contrasting ‘visions’: one full of hope, aspiration, and confidence; the other a categorical absence of same. Although what follows is allegorical in character, this story should neither be construed as a fairy-tale nor in…