跳到主要內容

Shumin Farm


Down On Shumin's Farm
Shumin Wang attended our October, 2010 Commercial Training. I remember him as a remarkable tall man, who sat and beamed a huge smile at almost everything I said. He absolutely glowed with pleasure, and asked very few questions. When he spoke, he apologized for his English, which I assured him was better than my Mandarin. Because of the possibility of language difficulties, I was uncertain how much he actually understood. As it turns out, I need not have worried!

Shumin sent an email to me on March 5th, telling me he would be in Honolulu with his family, for a holiday at the end of April. He asked if he could come to the Big Island to visit us for a day, and we were honored and delighted to say "of course!"

On May 1st, Shumin arrived. We sat around the kitchen table and "talked story" for a while, as we say here in Hawaii. At one point, he asked if we would like to see photos of what he had built. Nothing in our entire experience of learning aquaponics for five years, and teaching it for four even remotely prepared us for what he showed us. Even now, three weeks later, Tim and I are still absolutely stunned.


VegetablesInTroughs2Medium

This photo gives you an idea why we were stunned when Shumin showed us the pictures. Look for the tiny human figure in the far right distance; it will give you an idea of the scale of Shumin's operation. This is only ONE of the three 11,388 square foot greenhouses he is currently operating., and these troughs only go HALFWAY down the length of the greenhouse!

Shumin started out by doing exactly what we recommend our students do: he went home and built a small test system. He spent $10,000 building his test system inside a rented greenhouse, and tested many things; "water vegetables" (as he said, not knowing the English words for the cultivars he grew), and most notably ginseng. After six months of testing, Shumin was ready to move on to his larger project, the first phase of which is now complete.

Shumin found land in a small village called, in English: Chikan Village, and in Pinyin, is called Chikin Cun Wei Hui. Chikan Village is in Yulindian Town, which is in Mouping District, in the Yantai Municipality, in the Shandong Province, in Northeastern China, on a peninsula that juts into the East China Sea.

Yulindian Town covers an area of 129 square kilometers, and in 2004 had 22,000 people. When we viewed his farm using Google Maps, it appeared to be in a very rural area. Here he built what is (to our knowledge), the largest aquaponics facility in the world. In May of 2011, Shumin moved his project here, on to a piece of land that is 20,000 square meters (4.9 acres).

The first phase of his ambitious and well-thought out project is three greenhouses, each 11.5 m x 92 meters (37.7' x 301.8'), for a total area under each greenhouse roof of 1058 square meters (11,388 square feet). All three greenhouses combined have a total area under roof of 3174 square meters (34,164.7 square feet), or almost one third of a hectare! And this is only phase one! Phase two will be built out of cash flow and will double the size to six greenhouses.

Inside each greenhouse, Shumin has built an integrated system that combines aeroponics, deep water culture on both polystyrene and hand made bamboo rafts, and gravel bed. Each greenhouse is divided in half by a huge, 5.5 meter (18 feet) diameter, concrete fish tank, each stocked with 200 kilos (440 pounds) of fish. Half the greenhouse is devoted to aeroponics, growing ginseng eight months of the year, and strawberries the remaining four months, when the ginseng is put into cold storage.

BambooRaft1Medium

A bamboo raft of Shumin's, showing vegetables and roots growing below the raft.

The aeroponics units he designed (and produced himself in his plastics molding factory; he's a resourceful fellow!) are two and a half meters tall (8.2 feet), allowing workers easy access by short ladders to vertical growing units that allow for thousands of plants per greenhouse. On the other side of the greenhouse, are four 45 meter (147.6 foot) troughs; three are raft, one is gravel, as well as one covered germination area one meter (three feet) wide that runs the entire length of each greenhouse (92 meters/301.8 feet).

Shumin has what we call in the States a CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) with 40 members, who each pay the equivalent of $1500 US per year for produce, strawberries, chickens, and eggs. This provides Shumin's farm with a solid, guaranteed income of $60,000 per year. The area required to raise the food for the CSA only takes up 25% of his current greenhouse space, leaving another 25% of his production for him to sell to local markets. He has a full 50% of his greenhouse space left for the ginseng and strawberries project.
They are also raising 600 chickens, to sell both meat and eggs.

FishTank1Medium

One of Shumin's concrete fish tanks, with integrated solids settling, net, and degas tanks. Shumin has REALLY cheap fish food, electricity, and labor, with GOOD fish prices, so this HD system makes the most sense for him to use. If you're NOT in China, you need to learn more about what an HD system is, before you just build one and lose your shirt raising fish.

Using aquaponics water, ginseng has a three year growth cycle, rather than the five to six it takes to grow in the ground. It is very easy to tell how old the ginseng is, because the little plants have three leaves the first year, six leaves the second, and nine leaves in the third. Shumin's farm will also produce ginseng seed, baby ginseng, and young plants, which are at present very expensive and almost impossible to acquire. This is a smart business move, and gives his farm one more stream of income.

It cannot be overstated how both medically and culturally significant ginseng is in China. The demand for quality ginseng products always far outstrips supply. From the ginseng operation alone, they  project to bring in $150,000 US per year, beginning in the third year, and continuing every year thereafter. The strawberries are projected to bring in $75,000 US per year, beginning this year. Operating costs, including labor, are projected to be $60-80,000 per year for the entire operation, including the CSA, ginseng, strawberries, and the 25% of his production that goes to local markets.

VegetablesInTrough1Medium

Another greenhouse, another set of troughs with different vegetables. You can see the back wall of the greenhouse covered with aeroponic piping, waiting for the racks that hold the plants to go in.

His entire cost of construction has been $250,000 to complete the first phase, and as mentioned previously, the second phase will be built out of cash flow. Currently, the greenhouse fish tanks are heated with hot water pipes that run underneath them, with the water heated by running a boiler. They will switch to solar hot water soon, as cash flow allows.

Having had many years in business as the owner of a plastics extrusion factory, Shumin's business background is very strong. While some of these numbers are projections, they are based upon his many solid years as a successful business owner. Shumin has invested his own money in a project that he believes will make him money while serving his community.


RootsUnderRafts2Medium

Raft with plant roots, with more troughs and rafts in background.

Shumin and his family are also deeply involved in philanthropic endeavors utilizing aquaponics. Along with Shumin's brother, they have already built an aquaponics system in an orphanage in Thailand.

There are simply no words to express our gratitude to Shumin for attending our training, taking everything we had to offer, and creating something so unique and amazing that Tim and I are still stunned. It is good to know you are in the world, and your aquaponic farm as well. It is a great honor to know you, and to have been involved even a little in your success in aquaponics. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.


Aloha, ***Susanne
***

留言

這個網誌中的熱門文章

燈籠果

燈籠果 燈籠果屬於醋栗科茶蔍屬多年生灌木。株叢高1.2 米左右,果子是一個套着燈籠型莢子的小圓果,比拇指大一點,里面有很多小籽。未成熟時味極酸,成熟後呈黄綠色,完全成熟後呈紫紅色,非常甜,可以用來烤果餅,做果醬。燈籠果花朵燈籠果原產祕魯和智利,但是並不是什麼重要得產品。當地人隨便吃一點,偶爾也在菜市場看到。但是被廣泛的引入各熱帶和亞熱帶地區,所有番茄可以存活的地方都可以種。果醬和罐頭是居民的常用品,也經常出口。中部非洲國家,如加蓬,也有小型果園。 一、燈籠果的生育週期 1、發芽期:從種子吸水萌動到真葉露心為發芽階段,由播種到種子萌芽長出土,達到80%以上,大約需要7~15天。 2、幼苗期:苗出齊後,有80%的植株達到三片真葉,即第一個花萼形成前約20~30天。此期主要是根、莖、葉的生長時期,在生產上要採取良好的措施,培育生長發育健壯的幼苗,為高產、優質、豐產打下良好的基礎。 3、開花期:從開第一朵花開始到最後開的一朵花所持續的天數,為開花日數。最早開的第一朵花達5%的植株為開花始期,以月、日表示,植株最後開的花,而漿果又能在霜前充分成熟的日期為終花期。 4、結果期:結果期分為始期和終期。結果始期,即有5%的植株落花後,坐住果的日期。結果終期,即是終花期的花坐住果的日期。   5、成熟期:漿果成熟期,可分為始熟期和終熟期。始熟期,即有5%的植株第一個果成熟的日期。終熟期即最後充分成熟漿果的日期。燈籠果是由下向上陸續開花結果成熟的。第一個花果實膨大生長,第2~4朵花相繼現蕾、開花和結果。 二、燈籠果對環境條件的要求:   1、溫度:燈籠果性喜溫,不耐霜凍。種子發芽以30℃左右發芽迅速;幼苗生長期20~25℃、夜間不低於17℃適宜生長;開花結果期白天以20~25℃、夜間不低於15℃為宜,否則易引起落花落果。氣溫10℃以下植株停止生長。0℃以下植株受凍。經調查看,幼苗耐低溫能力不成熟,所以露地生殖時期不能過早,而必須在晚霜過後方可栽植。   2、光照:燈籠果對光照要求比較敏感,需要充足的光照。在3000~4000米燭光範圍內,生長發育協調,果實品質優良。光照不足時,植株徒長而細弱,產量下降,漿果著色差,品味不佳。因此,在生產上必須注意種植密度的合理性和打尖、抹芽、整枝的必要性。   3、水分:燈籠果需水較多,尤其在漿果開始成熟前期,枝葉和果實同時生長,需水較多,當漿果大量

蔬菜對溫度日照條件的要求

蔬菜對溫度日照條件的要求 全日照  8個小時日照 瓜類、茄果類、豆類、山藥、豆薯(地瓜)。番茄、黃瓜、茄子、辣椒等喜溫中、強光性 蔬菜夏秋季生產,玉米、青椒、西瓜、南瓜、西紅柿、茄子、芝麻、向日葵類。 其次是根莖類,如:馬鈴薯、甜菜、胡蘿蔔、白蘿蔔、甘藷、山藥等等。至少需半日照,才能生長,芋頭雖喜歡全日照,但比其他蔬菜耐蔭。  需要中等光照大白菜、甘藍、芥菜、蒜、洋蔥。  長日性蔬菜白菜、甘藍、芥菜、蘿蔔、胡蘿蔔、芹菜、菠菜、萵苣、蠶豆、豌豆、大蔥、洋蔥。 短日性蔬菜豇豆、扁豆、莧菜、空心菜。          中光性蔬菜黃瓜、番茄、茄子、辣椒、菜豆 菜豆 菜豆喜溫暖,不耐高溫和霜凍。菜豆種子發芽的適溫為20-30℃;在40℃以上的高溫和10℃以下的低溫,種子不易發芽。幼苗生長適宜氣溫為18-25℃。花芽分化的適宜氣溫為20-25℃,過高或過低溫度易出現發育不完全的花蕾、落花。 菜豆對光照強度的要求較高。在適宜溫度條件下,光照充足則植株生長健壯,莖的節間短而分枝多,開花結莢比較多,而且有利於根部對磷肥的吸收。當光照強度減弱時,植株易徒長,莖的節間長,分枝少,葉質薄,而且開花結莢數少,易落花落莢。 菜豆根系強大,能耐一定程度乾旱,但喜中度濕潤土壤條件,要求水分供應適中,不耐澇。生長期適宜土壤濕度為田間最大持水量的60%-70%,空氣相對濕度以80%為宜。開花結莢期對水分最敏感,此期土壤乾旱對開花結莢有不良影響,開花數、結莢數及莢內種子數減少。土壤水分過大時,下部葉片黃化,早脫落。空氣濕度過大會引起徒長、結莢不良。 菜豆具有深根性和根瘤菌,對土壤的要求不甚嚴格,但仍以土層深厚肥沃、排水良好的輕砂壤土或粘質壤土為好。土壤過於粘重、低溫、排水和通氣不良則生長不良,炭疽病重。菜豆喜中性至微酸性土壤,適宜的土壤pH為5-7.0,其中以州6.2-6.8最適宜。菜豆最忌連作,生產中應實行2-3年輪作。 菜豆生育過程中,主要吸收鉀和氮較多,還要吸收一定量的磷和鈣,才能良好發育。結莢期吸收磷鉀量較大。磷鉀肥對菜豆植株的生長發育、根瘤菌的發育、花芽分化、開花結莢和種子的發育等均有影響。缺乏磷肥,菜豆嫩莢和種子的品質和產量就會降低。缺鈣,幼葉葉片捲曲,葉緣失綠和生長點死亡。缺硼,則根係不發達,影響根瘤菌固氮,使花和豆莢發育不良。

為何冰箱冷凍室非得是零下18度?

為何冰箱冷凍室非得是零下18度? 不少家庭的冰箱有led面板,可顯示冷藏室和冷凍室溫度。每次看到那個零下18℃,不少人,包括筆者在內就會禁不住提出一個小疑問:為什麼冷凍室溫度非得是零下18℃?最多零下1℃不就結冰了嗎?搞這麼低溫度實在是浪費電呢。 聰明如很多人是這樣推測的 百思不得其解,於是很多人,包括筆者在內就開始推測後面的機制了。冷凍室的零下18℃其實不費電,相反,它是節約電力的一個好措施。為何? 冰箱隔一段時間,內部溫度升高後,它就要啟動壓縮機,嗡嗡嗡的。頻繁啟動壓縮機不僅耗電,冰箱的壽命也會降低,還有就是很吵人。怎麼辦?簡單,先把冷凍室的溫度搞得低低的,比如零下18℃左右。 然後,冷凍室的冷氣往上走,來到冷藏室,如此,就能長時間保持冷藏室的溫度處於0到8℃以內了。 待冷凍室的冷氣散失過多,溫度升高到零下幾度時,再啟動冰箱的壓縮機把溫度再次降到零下18℃,如此,冰箱的啟動次數就變少了。 實際是這樣嗎?很遺憾,不是。 原因之一:不一樣的水 水到零度以下就結冰了,這是絕大多數人的認識。然而仔細一想,這不適用於冰箱的冷凍室。因為冷凍室存放的不是上百升礦泉水,而是各種各樣的食物。 食物中含有大量水這沒錯,但這些水同時含有大量的鹽、糖等物質。就像每1升海水中大約含有35克鹽,所以平均起來,要到零下1.33℃時海水才會結冰。 因此,要想把食物凍結,並不是溫度只要達到水的冰點就可以,得保證足夠低的溫度,食物中的水才能凍結,這很重要,因為食物中只要有液態水存在,這就等於是為各種細菌的繁殖提供了必備條件。 圖為牛肉薄片在不同溫度和不同時間內測得的牛肉中凍結水量的曲線。 當牛肉薄片的溫度為零下4℃時,只有70%的水分被凍結;溫度下降到零下9℃左右時,也還有3%的水分未凍結;即使牛肉薄片的溫度降低到零下18℃時,也不是100%的水分都被凍結住。 原因之二:嗜冷微生物 根據微生物對不同溫度的適應範圍,可將微生物分為三大類,嗜熱菌、嗜溫菌和嗜冷菌。在食物的冷藏和冷凍過程中,我們面對的「敵人」是嗜溫菌和嗜冷菌。 一般來說,能引起食物腐敗和食物致毒的嗜溫菌,在低於3 ℃情況下不產生毒素,當然,個別菌種例外。 而對於嗜冷菌,一般得在零下10 ℃到零下12 ℃時才會停止生長。 有的黴菌甚至要到零下15~零下18 ℃時才