Okay, I've been more than a little lax in developing my post Z day survival tips so I thought I'd start with a sustainable food source.
First up is Aquaponics! The method of combining aquaculture (growing fish) and hydroponics (growing plants) in a mutually beneficial system. Short version is: Fish poop feeds plants, plants clean water for fish. Win/win situation for all!
While this is far smaller than stocking a pond and planting a field, it's still on the large side due to the water tanks involved to generate enough food through the year. The plus sides are that you won't have to leave your safe haven in order to scavenge for food, will have a balanced diet, and you can feed the fish things you normally wouldn't eat anyways like bugs and fish guts.
I'm currently investigating LED lights and the 'best' fish to use but so far it looks like catfish are winning due to their high growth rate and hearty nature. LED lights are looking to be around $100 per 2-3 square feet of coverage but they consume far less power and are far longer lasting than anything except florescent bulbs. For even more energy conservation, a hand pump can be used to raise the water in a gravity system like this one:
For space conservation, place the water/fish tank under the plant tables if you have enough ceiling clearance.
I'll be doing more research and expand as it becomes more 'solid' in my mind. If/when I have an actual house (hopefully later this year around fall), I'll be trying my hand at this and should be able to give even more detailed plans of what to do and what NOT to do. Probably won't be in that order but I can hope can't I?
First up is Aquaponics! The method of combining aquaculture (growing fish) and hydroponics (growing plants) in a mutually beneficial system. Short version is: Fish poop feeds plants, plants clean water for fish. Win/win situation for all!
While this is far smaller than stocking a pond and planting a field, it's still on the large side due to the water tanks involved to generate enough food through the year. The plus sides are that you won't have to leave your safe haven in order to scavenge for food, will have a balanced diet, and you can feed the fish things you normally wouldn't eat anyways like bugs and fish guts.
I'm currently investigating LED lights and the 'best' fish to use but so far it looks like catfish are winning due to their high growth rate and hearty nature. LED lights are looking to be around $100 per 2-3 square feet of coverage but they consume far less power and are far longer lasting than anything except florescent bulbs. For even more energy conservation, a hand pump can be used to raise the water in a gravity system like this one:
For space conservation, place the water/fish tank under the plant tables if you have enough ceiling clearance.
I'll be doing more research and expand as it becomes more 'solid' in my mind. If/when I have an actual house (hopefully later this year around fall), I'll be trying my hand at this and should be able to give even more detailed plans of what to do and what NOT to do. Probably won't be in that order but I can hope can't I?
