TapRoot Farms

The Flourish Farm Aquaponic System

Stage 1

The Plants

The main grow-out space for the plants is exclusively deep water culture. Two Growasis 4-tier Nursery and Microgreen Systems are home to germinating seedlings and microgreens. Depending on environmental factors, seedlings will germinate on average for about 10-14 days before they're transplant ready.

The seedling sprouts will then live out the remainder of their lifecycle atop the floating raft boards inside the 8ft by 128ft Growasis Ground Deep Water Culture System.

There are 3,248 planting spaces within the Growasis DWC system. This dynamic method of growing allows for a conveyor-belt style raft production where young sprouts are transplanted into the system at one end and are gradually pushed down the trough to be harvested five to six weeks later at the other end. An over-sized aeration system using ultra-quiet air pumps provides a continuous supply of air beneath the raft boards.

617-771 Lettuce Heads Weekly

2,674-3,343 Lettuce Heads Monthly

32,090-40,113 Lettuce Heads Annually

The Fish

Three 800 gallon fish tanks will be home to 267 fish per tank. The maximum stocking density of the adult cohort will be 0.5lbs per gallon. The farm will harvest 381 lbs of fish every four months. Annual tilapia production is estimated at 1,145 lbs.

Fish solids are separated from the water column by passing through the PolyGeyser Bead Filter where a static bed of beads both captures suspended solids and also provides a surface for the development of a healthy and effective bio filter. A UV sterilizer was installed for post-solids filtration to eliminate harmful pathogens that can lead to disease or algae growth.

The fish system and the plant system each have their own dedicated sump tank. All of our aquaponic farms are designed to operate as coupled or decoupled. Decoupling the systems from each other is useful when targeting nutrient amendments, disease control, or when raising fingerlings that aren't eating enough feed yet to supply the required amount of nutrients for the plants.

267 Tilapia per Tank

0.5lbs per Gallon Stocking Density

1,145lbs Tilapia Annually

The Add-Ons

Several components are either required or recommended for efficient, optimal farming. No two farms are ever alike. We provide several options for our farmers so that each farm has the equipment and resources available to succeed from start up to harvest.

First up is our 200 gallon AquaBundance Fish Farm, a complete recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) designed to operate independently as a small fish rearing, quarantine or purge system. It comes complete with an Endurance Bead filter, sump tank, water heater, aeration system and all plumbing connections.

Grow lights are a key requirement for plant growth in many regions without sufficient year round sun light. For Taproot Farm, we used Boost XE LED Light Bars from Thrive Agritech, a key partner of ours for both home and commercial farm systems. We can design a grow lighting system that includes light sensors and automatic timers so that the lights operate only when the daily light integral (DLI) is below the required threshold.

Monitoring is critical for peace of mind when you're away from the farm. The wifi-enabled HYDROS monitor was installed with various probes and sensors to track pH levels in both the fish and plant sump, water temperature, flow rate, leak detection, and water level sensors.

With Stage 1 complete, Stage 2 will expand both fish and plant production. Two more Growasis Ground Deep Water Culture Systems will be installed along with additional fish tanks and filtration systems to support plant production.

TapRoot Farms is more than just an aquaponic greenhouse. The family grows delicious veggies and fruit, raises free-range hens for eggs, and pastured animals for meat.

With over 280 soil farming acres, 140 CSA shares, and a resounding 70% organic transition, TapRoot Farms does an excellent job of demonstrating the co-existence of regenerative soil practices alongside sustainable aquaponic farming.