ARC for Eden certificate program
In partnership with Victory Aqua Farms, this new certificate program is available to students internationally. This is a1-year program split into 2 6-month increments from Dec - May. At the end of the period, the Certificate in Aquaponic Management is awarded.
Through this program, you'll receive the tools and techniques to provide fresh, quality, organically raised Tilapia, aquaponically grown produce, and support services for consumers, farmers, food outlets, organizations. This program is best suited for anyone who seeks to provide local, personalized, loving service while promoting community centered contribution, activities, initiatives, and education as a mission.
Proposed site in South Florida (Margate area)
We are committed to the concepts of aquafarming, food security, and the principles of all natural, sustainable aquaculture. At our state of the art facility, we'll nurture our harvest with meticulous attention.
Bamboo Made in America
As part of our initiative to create carbon negative projects, we are adding bamboo to the list of vegetation being grown (including edible bamboo).
See more information in Powerpoint and videos to be added!
Nutrient Film Technique -The other NFT!
It's either synchronicity or annoying coincidence that Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) share the same acronym! Therefore, the course related to tokenization is probably going to be last! In farming, the nutrient film technique that will be taught in this program is the most popular and widely used deep water culture method utilized in commercial growing. In these systems, the roots are suspended in a channel, while a shallow stream of nutrient solution is recirculated through the bottom of the channel where roots grow and are nourished in the nutrient solution that can be adapted to meet the needs of almost any crop!
The main advantage of the NFT is the capability of producing very high yields with minimal waste footprint due to the recirculating system.
Wider, deeper channels, NFT systems have been used with great success for larger plant varieties so we will also be exploring these!
Bamboo is one of the most useful plants in the world and of the hundreds of thousands of different plant species, it stands above the rest in terms of usefulness and speed of growth. Although it may look like a tree it's actually considered to be a grass. Scientists have documented over 1,000 different species of bamboo growing in various regions around the world bamboo. Forests have grown naturally and stretch across large expanses throughout Southeast Asia, Hawaii and many parts of South America. For centuries bamboo has been a miracle plant used by many as a sturdy building material and a viable source of food. More recently new processes in bamboo manufacturing have made it possible to take an extremely hard substance such as bamboo and transform it into an ultra soft fabric that rivals the softness of luxury fabrics like silk and cashmere.
In a time when global warming, depletion of resources and deforestation threatens the balance of the delicate natural world and its diverse ecosystems, bamboo is proving to be a viable solution and resource that's both remarkably useful and environmentally friendly. Bamboo horticulturist from all over the world consider bamboo to be one of the most sustainable renewable resources known on the planet! This is evidenced in some species of bamboo that have been known to grow up to 4 feet per day and reach maturity within 2 years; a mere fraction of the 50 to 60 years it takes for traditional timber to grow to maturity and become ready for harvesting.
After harvesting bamboo it rapidly self propagates and new bamboo forests quickly spring up preventing deforestation and soil erosion that is common with other types of timber harvests. Unlike other plants bamboo is naturally antibacterial and has no need for harmful pesticides and fertilizers that can be detrimental to the environment. With carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rising, bamboo is a highly beneficial tool to clean the air we breathe as it can produce 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees.
From building to food source all parts of the bamboo can be used. Bamboo canes are stronger and lighter than steel by weight so Thomas Edison used bamboo as concrete reinforcement in some of his experimental swimming pools and house structures because it was cheaper than steel in addition to lighter for the same strength. One of the more intriguing uses of bamboo is the recent production of bamboo into ultra soft and comfortable eco-friendly fabric through an incredibly unique manufacturing process that allows us to wear this remarkable plant! It begins with the harvest of mature bamboo that is merely 2 years old then getting the cut as clean as possible makes it possible for new shoots to grow and naturally replenish for the next harvest in two years time. The bamboo is then taken and chopped into pieces resulting in piles of raw bamboo chips. The chips are then soaked in a solution which has been approved by the global organic textile standard to ensure that this process is environmentally friendly. As the bamboo soaks this solution breaks down the bamboo fibers extracting the bamboo pulp that is then dried into parchment like sheets. Once thoroughly dried these sheets are ready to be ground and spun into a soft fluffy material referred to as bamboo fiber. The fiber is then separated and spun into thread which is used to create yarn for weaving; the result is a cloth that is twice as soft as cotton and is compared to luxury fabrics like silk! It can be made into products from t-shirts to luxurious sheets.
Bamboo fabric is a remarkable material with properties that are unique and fascinating. One such property is that the cloth is naturally thermal regulating; keeping the body cooler when the weather is hot and warmer when it cold. It also wicks moisture away from the body keeping the wearer dry and 3 degrees cooler than other conventional fabrics. When made into bed sheets they are softer than 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton. Bamboo can be transformed into a countless number of useful environmentally friendly products that will help the world be
greener as resources continue to deplete. Bamboo stands strong as a renewable resource that regrows almost as quickly as it can be consumed. It is truly a miracle plant that will eventually grow its way into all of our futures and become a reliable resource for centuries.