Wednesday, August 22, 2012

learning even MORE skills....

Some friends are friends for life..
Life happens
you don't talk
but when suddenly you do
suddenly you are RE connected..
it's like time hasn't passed
you are RIGHT back to that awesome place
and then you wonder
WHY did we not talk for so long?
WHO cares..
we are now!
and hey
what's new..
well...
recently some SUPER wonderful friends of mine
(who are a bit camera shy)
invited me over to visit..
it turned into a LEARNING day!
Because everyone on THIS blog gets a nick name
and because I didn't check with the STAR of this post 
about the nickname we are giving him..
please dear reader note:
he may want to change it... 
Meet 
AQUA man!
this is Mr. A
he is an AMAZINGLY fun,
hardworking
bright man..
and he has a passion to LEARN
(very inspiring .. let me tell ya)
His recent passion is 
Aquaponics...
he is my Go To guy for this exciting field
and he recommends THIS book 
he is in fact, SO into this, he started his own aquaponics garden
IN 
the family garage..
(how cool are HIS parents??)
He is truly a blessing to his family
innovation HERE we come! 
here is the set up.
He explained he has room for two more tables..
AND he'll be setting up solar to the lights
to be even MORE eco!
so are you like me,
going..
huh????
yah.
ok, 
lets go through this step by step..
please note for a more detailed
explanation
I may need Aqua Man by my side...
while I type..
for now.. 
this is the "TANK"
in it
is WATER
eventually there will be..
Tilapia.
really?
FISH?
yes..
REALLY
he's raising fish..
so why not a pretty tank to see them?
that isn't practical..
He's not doing this to enjoy watching them
to name them
to become attatched emotionally to them.
THEN WHY ?
he's raising them to help his aquaponics
byproducts ..
all that..
well don't fish BREED?
what's he going to do with all the extra?
add them to the weekly family menu.
yes..
eat them..
they are yummy..
THAT said
the water from the tank
goes through this
to dump the water into the garden tub things.. 
that are filled with medium...
MEDIUM?
yes..the one Mr. A uses is a kind of clay ball..

see ? 
The water from the tank fills the growing bed 
with water and then drains
and things GROW in it 
see? 
here is the cool regulator thing 
here Mr. A lifted off the cap 
showing me how it works inside.. 
filling
then draining..
BUT..
where does it drain to?
UNDER the cool garden bench things...
see 
isn't that super cool?
then it gets put back into the TANK..
and it just keeps going
and going and 
GROWING 
yum 
yes.. YUM! 
do you see the orange carrots NOW?
I am not a hydroponics experts, 
in fact i had only ever vaguely heard of it..
I learned a LOT
and frankly want to learn MORE!
It's super interesting
and a good investment for families and communities that want
to be sustainable
and eat really really YUMMY foods..
talk about LOCALLY grown foods...
(giggle) 
now,
just so you don't think that the ONLY thing Mr. A is doing
is Aquaponics
he is into more than just that..
Here is his vermicompost..
it means worm compost..
I am very jealous..
I have been wanting one for YEARS 
it's another way to compost your kitchen scraps..
SUPER cool right?
it got us talking all about 
decomposing and composts
which naturally led to my interest in fungi!
Turns out this is newer passion of Mr. A 
and this is the book he favors on the topic!
We've invited him and his FABULOUS family to the farm
for some 'shroom hunting 
Outside the house
My friends have incorporated their growing garden
in with their landscaping
much like what we see is the style at the farm!
Super exciting to learn more about this 
NOT so traditional form of gardening 
yummy! 
Mr. A has a brother...
but his brothers passions are NOT the same
not exactly
he's a Poultry Man
(A.M, and P.M) 
(giggling)
Poultry Man
is also a man after my own heart..
he's about the same age as C.S.
and this is what HE is up to! 
pinch me!
I can't WAIT till we are all set up on the farm!
I want some girlies too! 
here is his watering bucket 
see what is underneath
little waterers..
smart right? 
oh aren't they lovley? 
i love the girls...
PINCH ME! 
how fun are my friends
with their one acre sustainable farm...
ok..
it's not sustainable YET
but it's getting there
and we are so motivated!
looking forward to their visit to 
Blessings Farm!
I love the Friends that God has put in our lives
to be
family

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