94-415 Makapipipi St Mililani, HI 96789
www.marisgardens.com
Lettuce Production
28 lettuce benches
Total: 10,560 sq ft
· Average of 800-1000 lbs sold a week
Diversification of Leafy Crops in Aquaponics
Tropical climate encourages ideal environment
for growing lettuce year-round
Hawaii is capable of producing 100% of locally
consumed lettuce
Red Lollo “Natividad“, Red Lollo
“Antago“ (L to R)
Red Romaine, Green Romaine,
and Green Oak (L to R)
Japanese Cucumbers
· 378 15 gallon
cucumber plants
Beets
Tomatoes
OTHER
SUCCESSFUL
CROPS
Blueberries “Emerald”
Chinese parsley
Green Onions
Blueberry “Jewel”
UNSUCCESSFUL
CROP
DEFORMED
CARROTS
WORDS OF ADVICE
HAWAII PRODUCE IMPORTS
•
Vegetables:
•
Fruits: 36% locally grown
64% imported
•
Every dollar spent on imported food supports agribusinesses outside of the
Hawaii economy
34% locally grown
66% imported
SUPPLEMENTAL FERTILIZERS
-BONE MEAL
-KELP
-CHEALATED IRON
WATER CHEMISTRY
Moving water and
adding air to the system
is costly, but maintaining
water quality optimizes
production.
BLUE SKIES AND A RAINBOW = A PERFECT DAY
PROTOTYPE TOMATO HOUSE
EXPANSION AND
UPGRADES
INPUTS
Fish Feed
Labor and Building Materials
ELECTRICAL COSTS
OFF THE GRID
WASTE EQUALS FOOD
Composting worms are used in our biofilters to consume
fish waste and produce worm castings. We are producing
our own worms using the waste from our produce in this
worm composting bin.
System Design
AQUACULTURE
FISH RACEWAYS
We are using a total of 7 raceways:
-
Utilizing about 73,000 gallons of
water
Raising 12,000 fish in our aquaponic systems
THE MARKET
FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION AND
ORGANIC CERTIFICATION
WEAKNESSES OF AQUAPONIC
PRODUCTION
• Lack of technical knowledge to produce product at a
commercial scale.
• Lack of human resources to work with aquaponics systems.
• Lack of fishmeal for organic based feed.
• Mechanization of the planting and harvesting procedures
have not been created and will be costly.
• Competing with the industrial growers on the mainland on a
price point basis will be difficult.
• Delivering small quantities of one crop is inefficient.
• High start up costs for infrastructure will prohibit some
farmers from entering aquaponics.
• Economic viability of this farming method is still
questionable.
BENEFITS OF AQUAPONIC
PRODUCTION
· Uses 2% of the water that conventional farming requires
· Zero use of petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides
·Demands healthy water chemistry for the fish which limits
organic pesticides and other additives even further
· Does not require agricultural land and may be built on various
landscapes such as asphalt, rooftops, and in urban areas
· Uses existing technologies, infrastructure, power and water of
the site
· Only energy input is electrical and may be supplied off the
grid
· The most environmentally sustainable method of farming
available to current technology
AQUAPONIC RESOURCES
Aquaponic Tours in Hawaii
Mari’s Gardens – Mililani, Oahu
Friendly Aquaponics –Hilo, Hawaii
Olomana Gardens – Waimanalo, Oahu
Suppliers
Island Grower Supplies –liners and net pots
Waimanalo Feed –residential systems, supplies
Aquatic Eco-Systems, Inc (Apopka, Fl) –Aquaculture supplies
Education
UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
(CTAHR)
ONE ACRE AQUAPONIC
FARM