As we start the downhill slide toward the end of 2017, I have to look back at the things that I have accomplished over the last 8 years with Green Phoenix Farms. Overall, I think that the most wonderful times I have had are those where I was leading a Class or Training Workshop. I mean, teaching is just something that I LOVE to do! Now, in today’s world, we all know that free time has become something of a…
As many of you have certainly noticed, Green Phoenix Farms has been relatively quiet in the Aquaponic industry for a while. This has been due to the fact that almost exactly two years ago (July 2015), Adam Cohen was invited to continue the development of the Controlled Environment Agriculture (formerly Greenhouse Management and Operations) program at Santa Fe Community College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which was founded by Eric Highfield two years earlier in 2013. Over the past two…
It has been a busy summer, and we are happy to announce that our new focus is The Farm in Burleson, our production facility located at 7512 FM 2738. The Aquaponics Greenhouse, our “Aquahouse,” is operational, with happy fish and growing plants. Now, with the arrival of cooler weather, we expect to harvest lettuce and bok choy on a weekly basis! As exciting as that is, we also have tomatoes, cucumbers and pole beans growing, two types of basil thriving, plans for vertical towers…
When Green Phoenix Farms was founded more than five years ago, it was with the dual goals of education and production. Its founder was an educator who used Aquaponics as a means to engage his high school math and science students. Along the way, he became an enthusiastic “urban farmer,” so much so that he left the classroom to teach other adults about this sustainable method of growing food and fish in a sustainable, symbiotic environment. Today, the firm is…
There are moments in your life that you will always remember. Sometimes these are momentous and wonderful times of success and joy. Sometimes these are not. Today is Monday February 1, 2016. One week ago, on January 25th, one of my closest friends, and greatest inspirations left this world…. Jesse Hull will be missed by an amazing number of people for so many things that he has done, and I will miss him for these certainly. But mostly, I will…
WHO WANTS A GREAT DEAL ON SOME 12′ WIDE AQUAPONIC LINER???? Our supplier has a large custom order of the 12′ wide Ultra-Scrim SR liner that they now want to get out of inventory… This means some savings of the normal retail price… And these savings increase significantly if you buy multiple rolls — shipping goes down! The price starts at $0.425 cents per square foot AND THIS INCLUDES SHIPPING! We have 80′, 90′, 100′ and 165′ long rolls. This opportunity…
“Imagine Whole Foods at dollar-store prices,” this is part of the opening line from a recent article by Rob Hoffman for the Plaid Zebra (Read the full article HERE). Needless to say, this certainly caught my attention, and drew me into the story of Daily Table. This is the new grocery store concept from Doug Rauch (former president of Trader Joe’s) in Dorchester, Boston earlier this year. I agree totally that there is a huge need for all people to…
So, I am sure by now that you have heard about the announcement yesterday (November 19, 2015). Specifically the one about the final approval being granted for the GMO Salmon that has been developed by the biotech company Aquabounty. Well, with this announcement, it now means that this type of Atlantic Salmon, with a gene from the Pacific Chinook Salmon as well as another from the Pacific Pout, has been approved as safe for human consumption. So, depending on where…
We listen! And what we have heard is that there is a growing interest in hydroponics. Last April, at Earth Day Texas, Green Phoenix Farms had a display booth located in a row that also featured several hydroponics displays. Also at Earth Day, Adam Cohen was a part of a panel discussion on sustainable growing methods. As is usual in such situations, aquaponics was described to the audience as a closed loop system that incorporates aquaculture and hydroponics in a…
By Adrienne Cohen First stop: Anton’s in Kansas City A destination visit to an unusual eatery was the primary reason for an overnight stop in Kansas City the beginning of October in conjunction with a trip to Iowa for the Eating Words Conference. Sponsored by the Edible Institute, the workshop for food writers was planned by the same group that publishes “Edible” Magazines in nearly 100 cities, including Dallas-Worth. Their editorial focus is on sustainability and healthy food, and the…
By Lia Jonsson Summer is a time for simple meals – how often have we all said that? Here’s a sampling of summer treats – all easy, tasty and quick – perfect for summer: Summer Shrimp and Grits This rendition of a low-country favorite has every bit as much appeal and character as the more substantial version made with andouille sausage. It’s light, flavored with citrus, and true to the tradition of a “fresh fisherman’s catch.” The basic recipe is…
Adam Cohen to Assume Reins of Program at Santa Fe Community College David Cohen Named Chief Executive Officer of Green Phoenix Farms Green Phoenix Farms Owner and President Adam Cohen will begin an exciting new venture in Santa Fe, N.M. on August 1. He has been tapped by the Community College there to manage and expand the two-year-old program in greenhouse management with an emphasis on hydroponic and aquaponics farming. He succeeds Eric Highfield as director and professor…
Earlier this month I got to sit down for an afternoon and have a great chat over the phone with Maribou Latour the creative mind and driving force behind the new VisionaryAquaponics.com podcast. Since her initial episode launched on Earth Day this year, she has managed to speak with the finest people in the field of Aquaponics, and ask them about why they do what they do and what they would like to share with the rest of us trying to…
By Lia Jonsson Although there is never a shortage (at least in my world) of interesting things to read, it seems that the last few weeks have brought even more than the usual number of “good reads” to my inbox; I also have a stack of “real” books awaiting my attention. This week, I’d like to pass on a few of the best: On Schools, Students and Teachers – and the Possibilities Many of us believe the old adage: “If…
Hey y’all, Lia’s Back! She is going to be re-starting her regular Friday column with Food Features. Be sure to watch for upcoming recipes with ideas on how to use the fresh harvest from your Aquaponics systems. By Lia Jonsson If, like many health conscious Americans, you have adopted Meatless Mondays, you can lift your good habits to the next level by adding fish to your diet on a regular basis. Fish will help lower blood pressure naturally and protect against…
Our always popular Introduction to Aquaponics – AP101 – class is scheduled Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be held at our new office location in Mansfield: 1285 No. Main Street (Highway 287 Business, just south of FM 1187), with the hands-on system build scheduled at our mini-warehouse at the same address. Due to space constraints, session enrollment is limited to 15 people. Reserve your space by completing the registration form HERE; after this form has…
June has begun in an exciting way for Green Phoenix Farms. We are in the running for a $100,000 Mission Main Street Grant sponsored by Chase with major support from LinkedIn. You’ll likely be seeing some of their promotions around the web. This is so exciting for us because, in addition to the possibility of being chosen as one of 20 grant recipients in the nation, just participating in the program allows us a wider opportunity to tell the story…
We are happy to announce that a quantum advance has now been made in materials available for Aquaponics. Until very recently, the choices available for water-proof liners used in Aquaponics has been limited pretty much to EPDM Pond Liners, Dura-Skrim, and re-purposed Billboard Tarps. All of these will work, that much is for sure, and some could even be used in a Certified Organic Facility…. But, they all had drawbacks as well — the Billboard Tarps often had micro-holes in…
Hello there, and Welcome to Green Phoenix Farms! We wanted to let everyone know that we have a great class planned for this weekend (May 23-24, 2015) that is absolutely chock-full of amazing information! In this Two-Day Seminar – we have planned activities and sessions that range from simple system design/construction to fish selection and care. From selecting the right plant varietal for your season/location and how to care for them efficiently to get the greatest production, to Tips and…
We are so excited to announce the launch of the Green Phoenix Farms Aquaponic CSA, and we want you to be a part of it! This will be a weekly Share from produce harvested in our new 2,000 sq.ft. Aquaponic System located at our farm (Burleson/Mansfield area). This share will provide you with fresh Aquaponic produce every week during the Harvest Season (12-weeks), and we will have 4 seasons per year. A share will consist of 6 – 10 different varieties of…
*** EDIT: Just an FYI — we used an old price sheet when we first totaled up the prices. The actual material cost is a little under $700, not $400. Even though the cost is more than we originally said — this is still a great price for a large greenhouse structure. We are very sorry for all of the confusion that this error on our part has caused.*** How would you like to learn how to build your own Greenhouse?What…
Here you go folks — just this morning I received an update from a connection in my Linkedin network, Kyle Barnett, about a new website that he had built called PonicJobs. This is a new job board that has been built specifically to help individuals find jobs in the massively expanding industries of Aquaponics, Hydroponics, Aeroponics and Urban Farming. The website has just launched, so admittedly there isn’t much there at the moment, but according to the release from Kyle,…
Welcome back to Green Phoenix Farms! This year we have been thinking deeply about how many people we have worked with since we started this company and the amazing things that we have seen. Our schedule has certainly been crazy with projects, but we have still been working as hard as we can to make sure that we are able to provide you with the greatest quality information that we can. Now to shed a little light into some of the things we have been…
Hey there! I wanted to just put this post out here to let you know about the new Aquaponic Information Resource page that I have put together that will serve as a place of reference for all individuals who want to learn more about Aquaponics. Yesterday (February 5th, 2014), I gave two presentations at the Missouri Organic Association conference about Aquaponics. The first presentation was about Aquaponic System Design, and the important questions that need to be addressed relating to…
Welcome to the New Year! Green Phoenix Farms have been thinking lately about how many people we have met over the last 5 years and the amazing things that we have seen with Aquaponics. Though our schedule has been crazy with projects, we have been working hard to make sure that we have planned some time to make sure that all of our community members out there have access to the information that they need. To that end, we have…
By Lia Jonsson It doesn’t matter where in the world you live: When the winds blow and the temperature dips, it’s time to stay indoors, sip warm drinks and eat comfort food. From one region to another and one culture to the next, the only differences are what, exactly, constitutes comfort food. I think many would agree that simple preparation, familiar ingredients, one-dish meals, and recipes that are as good reheated the next day as they are when originally consumed are…
Catching Our Breaths – But, Not for Long! By Adam Cohen We are catching our breaths here at Green Phoenix Farms – and enjoying the days we have had to attend to office affairs and “housekeeping details” of the business. But, we know it won’t last for long! Our Major East Texas Project is Complete The major design/installation of a nearly 11,000 square foot, Aquaponic greenhouse system for a private customer in East Texas is now complete. This system…
By Lia Jonsson The French actor-playwright Moliere is said to have said, “I live on good soup, not on fine words.” In that spirit I’m writing about soup – good soup – made with readily available, simple, hearty, nutritious components; great soups do not need fine ingredients. Soup can be made quickly of whatever is available; it is forgiving, and often the best results come from substitution and improvisation. Soup can be an entire meal, or it can start a…
By Adrienne Cohen Lia will be back on Friday, with some new fall recipes, but today, I’ll offer you a little nourishment for the mind, at least as important as the other kind. Food Forward “Across the country, a vanguard of food rebels–farmers, chefs, fishermen, teachers, scientists, and entrepreneurs–are creating inspired, but practical solutions that are nourishing us and the planet. These are stories America needs to hear.” That’s from a promotional announcement of a PBS Show called Food Forward. If…
by Lia Jonsson Unfortunately, World Food Day slipped by pretty much unnoticed this year. It was Thursday, October 16, and most of us went about our business pretty much as we normally do, without giving much thought to those who might be going to bed hungry. Perhaps, that is the way it normally is. But those of us who are somehow involved in the raising and growing of food – even if we can’t quite be classified as “farmers,” try…
By Lia Jonsson Part of the art of eating well, to my mind, is found in ease of preparation. If one doesn’t have to think much or work hard, eating well simply becomes habit. I’m the first to admit that when planning and preparing meals becomes a chore, I’d rather order take out or settle for cereal and milk or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Occasionally, that can be a treat! But, good food is always a treat, and…
By Lia Jonsson This week I’m going to stray just a bit from the normal format. I haven’t been cooking much the past two weeks – and the demonstration systems haven’t been producing much – maybe it’s the heat. The “dog days” of summer call for cool salads and quick dinners, lots of rest and catching up on reading. One night this week we “dined” very happily on a homemade pizza composed of a little leftover chunky marinara sauce, a…
By Lia Jonsson Two items caught my attention recently – a whole feature full of delectable recipe ideas for shrimp in Coastal Living Magazine and a news story about a farmer in Wisconsin. There was really nothing terribly unusual about either – the magazine often has great recipes, particularly for seafood and fresh salads, and I try a lot of them. And, farmers in Wisconsin are nothing to raise your eyebrows about. But this Farmer Raises Shrimp! Can you imagine…
By Lia Jonsson The Dog Days of Summer. Are they here? Are they about to end? Are they good, or evil? Should we care? Whether or not you know – or care – about the reasons that some 40 days in July and August have been called the “dog days” since ancient times (some say in honor of the dog star Sirius – others because it’s the hottest season with the least rainfall in the northern hemisphere), this is…
Right now, we’re looking ahead to the new Green Phoenix 1000 system that is just about ready to go into service here at our headquarters in Mansfield. This is a demonstration version of a small production Aquaponic system. This system is specifically designed to maximize the production capable within a 20 X 50 foot hoop house. Please check back soon for more information about this system and the other systems in the Green Phoenix series (500, 2000, and 3000). We promise that…
This week marks the start of the 2014 annual Vocational Agriculture Teacher’s Association of Texas (VATAT) Professional Development conference, this year in beautiful Abilene, TX. The Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas (VATAT) is a professional organization for agriculture science teachers and supporters of agriculture education. The VATAT is an organization dedicated to member services. The Association informs agriculture teachers about the latest agricultural education practices, encourages higher standards of teaching agriculture and provides agriculture education a unified voice in…
By Lia Jonsson Lots of Okra! Some folks love okra. Others of us like it in gumbo, but otherwise know little about it and really don’t know what to do with it. But when the okra in the Aquaponic system is thriving, it seems time to learn about it. As it turns out, there’s a lot to learn! This relative of hibiscus (that explains the pretty flowers), cotton and cocoa thrives in tropical settings, and is among “the most heat…
Oh my goodness things have been busy for the last seven days! The phone seems to be ringing off the hook with people and projects… We got some great news about two different major projects that will be starting in September! Our large project in East Texas is moving right along and this week we are getting liner into the beds and next week we will set fish tanks and begin running plumbing. Stay tuned over the next few weeks…
By Lia Jonsson Navigating the landscape of modern nutrition can feel like walking through a mine field. It’s almost impossible to make it through a day without encountering a nutrition study or food-related story. Hunger, obesity, contamination, crop damage, higher prices, processing and genetic modifications are all hot topics today. Food can cause allergies, disease and medical conditions – or cure them – depending upon which studies you read. Sometimes what was good advice a generation ago has been reversed…
Well, things are just trucking along these days. We are almost so busy that we don’t have time to harvest our systems. This week has been jam-packed with a little bit of work out-of-town on our giant project in East Texas (more info on that to come soon), and then we have been talking to people left and right about both our upcoming Two-Day Small Scale Aquaponic Seminar and about custom designed aquaponic systems. We even had 15 people come…
Small – Scale Aquaponics Workshop Two Days of Hands – On Learning Dates: August 9 and 10, from 9am to 4pm each day Location: Green Phoenix Farms (2214 FM 1187 #9-104, Mansfield, TX 76063) So do you want to build your own aquaponic system, but you don’t think that you know where to start? If so, then this two-day workshop is perfect for you! In this seminar, any person who wants to will be able to learn the key…
Well, this is an exciting day! After a few days more than 8 weeks of growth, we have what I will consider our first “Real” harvest from the Crossover System that is operating as a demo in front of our shop in Mansfield, TX. We planted three demonstration systems back in May to show visitors what they could reasonably expect to get out of a home or “Backyard-scale” system. We have to say, the response to these “integrated gardening systems”…
Good Morning to everyone! I wanted to write a quick little note here to let you know about something new that we are going to be starting here at Green Phoenix Farms in July. For the past six years we have been offering classes and workshops to those of you who are interested in Aquaponics. In that time, we have had nothing but positive responses to our efforts and we have enjoyed having each and every one of you…
Things have been rather crazy around here over the last month. We have moved to a new facility with 10x the space now available, and we have be working on more projects than we thought possible. We know that we haven’t said much about our class schedule this month, but we wanted to let you know that we are definitely having our two-day class schedule this month. Specifically, we have a great set of four classes for our Aquaponic Learning…
Small-Scale Aquaponics Workshop Two days of Hands-on Learning Price:$250 per person Dates: August 9 – 10, 2014 from 9:00am to 4:00pm each day. Location: Green Phoenix Farms (2214 FM 1187 #9-104, Mansfield, TX 76063) Want to build your own aquaponic system, but don’t know where to start? This two-day workshop is perfect for any person who would like to understand what the key principles of aquaponics are, and also learn about the specific components needed to…
When: Saturday, April 19th 9:00am – 4:30pm Where: Green Phoenix Farms Cost: $90 per person (Classes limited to 20 ppl.) This FULL-DAY class is a basic primer to everything you would need to operate your own backyard aquaponic system. During the morning “Classroom” portion, we will present everything that is needed to begin running a small Aquaponic system. We will cover topics from components and basic biology to water chemistry and planting density. All topics will be…
About three weeks ago, we posted an update to show how things were proceeding in our new Aquaponic Discovery Center in Fort Worth, TX. In our post “Planting Day“, we showed a slideshow of pictures of us planting nearly 500 seedlings into the system. That was a great day! The sun was shining, the weather was clear and crisp, and the water was flowing great. Unfortunately about eight days later, we had ANOTHER cold snap blow in (I…
Green Phoenix Farms has managed to find a reliable supplier for Food-Grade IBC Totes of exceptional quality. Our new supplier sells food-grade totes that are actually cleaned and certified KOSHER- grade. (He actually has a Rabbi come out each week to inspect the facility and make sure that everything is done properly.) From this point on, we will be able to supply as many totes as you may need or want. We are offering the following items: 275 gallon totes…
So today was a great day for us at Green Phoenix Farms. We were able to plant out our first 500+ seedlings into the system in Fort Worth, TX at the Aquaponic Discovery Center at Feed By Grace. The major construction was completed in January 2014, but an unforeseen delay in the power line installation delayed operation until the early part of this week. However, we are happy to say that we currently have a wide variety of leafy greens…
This project is the first in a unique level of partnership for community groups and urban farming programs. This project, which is a joint operation between the Fort Worth, TX ministry Feed By Grace and the Dallas-based Aquaponics education/design firm Green Phoenix Farms, is located at a garden site that sits almost under the freeways in a part of town that has not witnessed successful farming for a long time. Green Phoenix Farms has used an existing greenhouse as…