Interested in starting an aquaponics business? Though you will probably want to take an in-depth aquaponics course if you do not have experience (and are not hiring a professional grower), there are also a multitude of free and low-cost introductory resources. This is not a stand-in for further education and is by no means a complete list – but will give you plenty to read to begin planning your venture.
Articles & Books on Planning an Commercial Aquaponics Greenhouse
Blog – Planning for a Commercial Aquaponics Greenhouse – We share our tips for starting the process, centering on identifying your goals and type of operation.
Blog – Can a Commercial Aquaponics Greenhouse Be Profitable? – To evaluate the industry overall, we share a study of commercial aquaponics greenhouses.
Book – The Year-Round Solar Greenhouse – Our DIY book on designing an energy-efficient greenhouse includes a chapter on designing an aquaponics greenhouse. $24.95.
Book – Aquaponic Gardening – The hugely popular beginners guide to aquaponic growing includes the author’s useful advice for approaching a commercial aquaponics greenhouse. $29.95.
E-book – Ceres free e-book on designing an aquaponics greenhouse is a must read for those who want to create a sustainable, energy-efficient greenhouse operation. This focuses on utilizing passive solar greenhouse design to create a durable, year-round greenhouse.
E-Book – Commercial Aquaponics Gold: Aquaponics Growing in Controlled Environment Agriculture. Colle and Phyllis Davis have published a series of e-books on commercial aquaponics growing. Note – we have not read these yet, so cannot make a recommendation. At $70 each, they are one of the more expensive book options.
Webinars & Videos
Webinar – Introduction to Commercial Aquaponics — Jerome Peloquin gives this free webinar on creating a large-scale commercial aquaponics operation. Mr. Peloquin’s veers from many conventional by stating that starting small is not always the best method if your goal is a profitable commercial aquaponics greenhouse. It is an interesting take that has received a mix of reviews.
Webinars — Solar Greenhouse Design 101 – You may want to use Ceres free webinars to help you evaluate greenhouse designs, and consider an energy-efficient greenhouse for your venture.
DVD – Off-Grid Aquaponics DVD Set – This 8-hour DVD set is from well-known renewable energy author Dan Chiras. Dan explores ways to heat and cool a greenhouse and aquaponics system using renewable energy methods such as solar hot water and solar panels. This is for those in the later stages of designing a greenhouse, when you may be evaluating heating and cooling systems to control costs. $49.95.
Case Studies
Case Studies — Economic Analysis of Commercial Aquaponic Systems — Check out these three case studies, which include the operations’ financial statements from SARE.
In addition to these free and low-cost resources, there are a multitude of courses on aquaponics growing, and commercial aquaponics, such as Ceres own Aquaponics Greenhouse design course, or a four-day course on aquaponics farming from The Aquaponic Source. A full list of courses would be exhaustive. We recommend you evaluate the years in the business of the organization, the focus of the course — whether residential or commercial — and their reviews.
Have other resources for planning an aquaponic greenhouse business? Please shoot us an email at info@ceresgs.com.
