Billboard Tarps

The vinyl is chemically unstable and unhealthy for fish.

My used tarp leaked, but the company refunded my money including shipping.

Each of the circles and squares drawn on this tarp indicate a hole!

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A List of Double Up Food Bucks Locations in Albuquerque and Valencia County

Thanks to an initiative approved by the State Legislature this year, New Mexicans who receive food stamps can use their EBT cards to double the amount of fruits and vegetables they purchase at growers markets. Here is a list, courtesy of the New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association, of locations in the Albuquerque area and Valencia County that offer the Double-Up Food Bucks option.

• ABQ Uptown Growers’ Market 2200 Louisiana Boulevard NE, Albuquerque (Saturdays 7AM–12PM)
• Albuquerque Downtown Growers’ Market Central and 8th, Robinson Park, Albuquerque (Saturdays 8AM–12PM)
• Albuquerque Growers’ Market at Presbyterian 1100 Central Ave. SE, Albuquerque (Tuesdays 7AM–12PM)
• Albuquerque: Rail Yards Market 777 1st St. SW, Albuquerque (Sundays 10AM–2PM)
• Belen Growers’ Market Anna Becker Park, Highway 309 & Reinken Avenue, Belen (Fridays 4:30–7PM)
• Bosque Farms Growers’ Market 1090 North Bosque Loop, Bosque Farms (Saturdays 8AM–12PM)
• Los Lunas Farmers’ Market 3447 Lambros Circle, Los Lunas (Tuesdays 4PM–7PM)
• South Valley Armijo Village Growers’ Market Isleta Blvd. and Arenal Rd. SW, Albuquerque (Saturdays 8AM–12PM)
• South Valley Gateway Growers’ Market 100 Isleta Blvd. SW, Albuquerque (Thursdays 5PM–8PM) 
• Zia Bernalillo Farmers Market 335 S. Camino del Pueblo (Fridays 4pm-7pm)

Double-Up Food Bucks benefits are also available in Alamogordo, Aztec, Cuba, Carlsbad, Clovis, Dixon, Española, Farmington, Las Cruces, Las Vegas (Tri-County Farmers Market), Lordsburg, Mescalero, Mora, Pojoaque, Portales, Ramah, Santa Fe, Silver City, Socorro, Truth or Consequences (Sierra County Farmers Market), Taos and Tucumcari. Click Here to find specific information about each of these markets. 

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The Mystery Plant formerly known as tarragon

Plant that grew from a tarragon seed
I was excited about making tilapia with a tarragon-basil pesto last night. Hadnt used any tarragon yet, because it isnt a plant I "know."

Which is probably how I let what I now know was a weed grow in my garden for the past couple of months.

Can anyone can tell me what this thing is? I assume it isnt poisonous, since my daughter and I both munched on it briefly before deciding it had neither taste nor scent to differentiate it from generic "plant."

The nice thing about growing in gravel is the ability to easily yank out offending plants.

By the way, if youre in the Northern Hemisphere and havent bought seeds yet, plants and seeds are popping up all over in local stores. Strawberry plants and blueberry bushes are currently available - yum!

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Wishing to understand water chemistry I began reading about REDOX and pH but the topics became overwhelming.  So I decided to take notes starting with definitions, because so many acronyms were being thrown at me all at once.

Then I tried to get my head around why its called Reduction and what was being reduced.

Finally I began to understand that most of this water chemistry topic is about electricity and ions.   So here are my notes.  Ive had some help along the way from a couple experts and Dr. George B. Brooks Jr. helped me convey the acidic reaction even better than I had.

Beyond the text Ive quoted from various internet sources I have added some commentary in red italic. 

Without the ability to gain electrons many minerals cannot be absorbed and properly assimilated.

Definitions:

Ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge.   ^[1]
Ionization is the process of gaining or losing electrons from a neutral atom or molecule  ^[1]
 
anion is a negatively charged ion  ^[1]
cation is a positively charged ion  ^[1]

Oxidation - involves the loss of electrons or hydrogen OR gain of oxygen OR increase in oxidation state.  ^[2]
Reduction - involves the gain of electrons or hydrogen OR loss of oxygen OR decrease in oxidation state.   ^[2]
The species that gains electrons is said to be reduced because it has less voltage and less potential to oxidize.

CEC or Cation Exchange Capacity, refers to the quantity of negative charges in soil existing
on the surfaces of clay and organic matter. The negative charges attract positively
charged ions, or cations, hence the name ‘Cation Exchange Capacity’.

ORP stands for Oxidation Reducing Potential and is sometimes referred to as REDOX (Reduced oxidation).
ORP is the tendency of a chemical species to acquire electrons and thereby be reduced ^[3]

TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids. 
TDS creates the pathway for the “ionization” (or more correctly electrolysis) to occur. ^[4]

pH stands for "potential hydrogen”.
pH measures alkalinity or acidity on the pH scale that runs from pH0 to pH14






Alkaline describes situations where pH levels exceed 7.0.

Alkalinity is a measure of a water’s capacity to neutralize acids

The term “alkalinity” should not be confused with the term “alkaline,” which describes situations where pH levels exceed 7.0.  ^[15]

Chelate is a substance whose molecules can form several bonds to a single metal ion
_______________________________________________________________________________


ORP is a potential energy measured in millivolts.  When Reduction occurs the potential energy (Voltage) is reduced. 

A “reducing” agent is simply something that inhibits or slows the process of oxidation. The reducing agent does this by “donating” an electron. When we measure something’s oxidation reduction potential, it is expressed in terms of –ORP and measures the concentration of OH- ions or reducing agents. ^[5]

Low PH water generally has High ORP

ORP measures the presence of oxidizing or [oxidation] reducing agents by their specific electrical charge, thus Oxidation Reduction "Potential". ^[4]
Oxidation in simple terms is what turns an apple brown after it is cut, or causes metal to rust. ^[4]  This is the electrolysis and ionization of iron.
The ORP of most tap water in the USA is between +150 to +600mv, and so is an oxidizing agent. ^[8]
High pH ionized water demonstrates a –ORP and so is a reducing agent or “antioxidant”. ^[8]


Acid (Low PH) or low potential hydrogen has a High Oxidation Reducing Potential and has potential to Oxidize other atoms, and causes metal to rust, but ionization is dependent upon a third variable called TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)..  

OK to review the above information which still gets me confused.

High ORP tends to make a Low pH, and it promotes oxidation. 

We now know that oxidation involves an exchange of electrons between two atoms. The atom that loses an electron in the process is said to be "oxidized." The one that gains an electron is said to be "reduced." In picking up that extra electron, it loses the electrical energy that makes it "hungry" for more electrons. 

Thus we get the term Oxidation (losing an electron) Reduction (gaining and electron) Potential.[16]      

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1546765

WHY IS pH IMPORTANT?

When the pH is not at the proper level the plant will lose its ability to absorb some of the essential elements required for healthy growth. For all plants there is a particular pH level that will produce optimum results (see chart 1 below). This pH level will vary from plant to plant, but in general most plants prefer a slightly acid growing environment (between 5.5-6.0), although most plants can still survive in an environment with a pH of between 5.0 and 7.5. When pH rises above 6.5 some of the nutrients and micro-nutrients begin to precipitate out of solution and can stick to the walls of the reservoir and growing chambers. For example: Iron will be about half precipitated at the pH level of 7.3 and at about 8.0 there is virtually no iron left in solution at all. In order for your plants to use the nutrients they must be dissolved in the solution. Once the nutrients have precipitated out of solution your plants can no longer absorb them and will suffer deficiency and death if left uncorrected. Some nutrients will precipitate out of solution when the pH drops also. Chart 2 (below) will give you an idea of what happens to availability some of the nutrients at different pH levels:[13]

		Chart 2
pH Values For Different Hydroponic Crops		Availability Of Nutrients Available At Different pH Levels
(From Hydroponic Food Production by Howard M. Resh Woodbridge Press, 1987)		NOTE: This chart is for soiless (hydroponic) gardening only and does not apply to organic or dirt gardening.
Plant	pH Range
Beans Broccoli Cabbage Cantaloupe Carrots Chives Cucumbers Garlic Lettuce Onions Peas Pineapple Pumpkin Radish Strawberries Tomatoes	6.0-6.5 6.0-6.5 6.5-7.5 6.5-6.8 5.8-6.4 6.0-6.5 5.8-6.0 6.0-6.5 6.0-6.5 6.5-7.0 6.0-6.8 5.0-5.5 5.0-6.5 6.0-7.0 5.5-6.5 5.5-6.5

From http://www.simplyhydro.com/ph.htm

Buffers play an important role in pH balance, as they are substances that are found in living organisms that help them maintain a certain range of pH. It is a chemical or combination of chemicals that keep the pH within its normal limits. This happens because it is able to resist a pH change by either taking up excess hydrogen ions or hydroxide ions. [11]

An example of a buffer is bicarbonate ions.  They take up extra hydrogen ions forming carbonic acid, which keeps the pH from going too low. However, if the pH gets too high, carbonic acid breaks apart to release some hydrogen ions, which brings the pH back into balance. [12]

TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) creates the pathway for the “ionization” (or more correctly electrolysis) to occur ^[5]as ions from the dissolved solids create the ability for water to conduct an electrical current.
The most common chemical constituents are calcium, phosphates, nitrates, sodium, potassium and chloride.^[4]
The importance of Total Dissolved Solids can not be emphasized enough. ^[5]

For hydroponic uses, total dissolved solids is considered one of the best indices of nutrient availability for the aquatic plants being grown, ^[9] but these nutrients will not be available unless the pH and ORP are also correct.

Water without mineral content or TDS, like reverse osmosis or distilled water, will not conduct the current and therefore can not be “ionized”. ^[4]

 

Oxidation-reduction reactions are vital for biochemical reactions such as converting Ammonia (NH3+H) to Nitrite (NO2) then Nitrite (NO2) to Nitrate (NO3) through a process called fixation which makes nitrogen available to plant life.

The electron transfer system in cells, and oxidation of glucose are examples of redox reactions. <sup>[2





These three variables ORP, pH, and TDS affect the assimilation of nutrients in plants and animals, the electron transfer system in cells, and oxidation of glucose.</sup> 

^{Oxidation-reduction reactions are also vital for biochemical reactions such as converting ammonia into nitrite and Nitrate.}  

^{This is done by bacteria which prefer to live in a pH of 5.8 to 7.5. Without these bacteria  the  nutrients which plants require would become locked up with unusable salts.}  

^{But a sufficient amount of TDS to conduct the ion exchange is also required, and each of these three components must be kept in balance.
I have not even touched upon Hard Water yet, but Hard water has a lot of buffering capacity and soft water has almost none..} 
 
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_the_PH_of_soil_so_important#ixzz1xLBg5nic

So understanding performance is like understanding a dance between the three variables. ^[5]

This topic goes even deeper:
Many essential biological chemicals are chelates. Chelates play important roles in oxygen transport and in photosynthesis. Furthermore, many biological catalysts (enzymes) are chelates.  A chelating agent is a substance whose molecules can form several bonds to a single metal ion.
Another biologically significant chelate is vitamin B-12. It is the only vitamin that contains a metal, a cobalt(II) ion bonded to a porphyrin-like chelating agent. As far as is known, it is required in the diet of all higher animals. It is not synthesized by either higher plants or animals, but only by certain bacteria and molds. These are the sources of the B-12 found in animal products. Because vitamin B-12 is not found in higher plants, vegetarians must take care to include in their diets foods or supplements that contain the vitamin.  ^[10]

	THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CHELATION PROCESS IN SOIL ARE:
	1.  Increase the availability of nutrients.   Chelating agents will bind the relatively insoluble iron in high pH soil and make it available to plants.
	2.  Prevent mineral nutrients from forming insoluble precipitates. The chelating agents of the metal ions will protect the chelated ions from unfavorable chemical reactions and hence increase the availability of these ions to plants.  One example is iron in high pH soil.  In high pH soil, iron will react with hydroxyl group (OH-) to form insoluble ferric hydroxide (Fe(OH)3) which is not available to plants.        Fe+3 + 3 OH- --------> Fe (OH)3 Soluble Insoluble Chelation will prevent this reaction from happening and hence render iron available to plants.
	3.  Reduce toxicity of some metal ions to plants. Chelation in the soil may reduce the concentration of some metal ions to a non-toxic level.  This process is usually accomplished by humic acid and high-molecular-weight components of organic matter.
	4.  Prevent nutrients from leaching. Metal ions forming chelates are more stable than the free ions.  Chelation process reduces the loss of nutrients through leaching.
	5.  Increase the mobility of plant nutrients. Chelation increases the mobility of nutrients in soil.  This increased mobility enhances the uptake of these nutrients by plants.
	6.  Suppress the growth of plant pathogens. Some chelating agents may suppress the growth of plant pathogens by depriving iron and hence favor plant growth.

[14]
4. Salinity - Salinity is usually expressed in terms of its specific gravity in science labs, but in the pond and Koi world it is more common to see it as the total percent of salt in a solution.

Water Salinity Based on Percentage of Dissolved Salts Koi function best with just ever so slight brackish water.
Fresh Water	Brackish Water	Saline Water	Brine
< 0.05%	0.05-3.0%	3.0%-5.0%	> 5%
	<?0.15-0.20%
Range in Green Perfect for Koi Ponds  0.15-0.20%
Perfect for Koi Hospital Tanks  0.25 - 0.30%

Measure Salinity Level with Easy to Use Digital Readout Meter

From http://www.pondkoi.com/water_quality.htm#Buffering_Capacity
This is an excellent article which i will list again at the bottom

How does Water Hardness relate to Ionization?
Hard water has a lot of buffering capacity and soft water has almost none.

Hard water is water that has high mineral content.
The higher the mineral content or Total Dissolved Solids the higher the levels of pH and ORP. ^[5]
The lower the mineral content the lower levels of pH and ORP. ^[5]

There are two types of water hardness.  GH (General Hardness) and KH (Calcium Hardness).

Temporary hardness (Calcium Hardness) is a type of water hardness caused by the presence of dissolved carbonate minerals (calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate). Unlike the permanent hardness caused by sulfate and chloride compounds, this “temporary” hardness can be reduced  by the addition of lime (calcium hydroxide) through the process of lime softening. ^[6]

Permanent hardness
Permanent hardness (General Hardness) is hardness (mineral content) that cannot be removed  by the addition of lime. It is usually caused by the presence of calcium and magnesium sulphates and/or chlorides in the water.  Despite the name, the hardness of the water can be removed using a water softener, or ion exchange column.<

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Lots of Nitrate

Water Chemistry Results - 05/14

Last week when I tested my water chemistry, my pH was about 8.0. Ammonia was at 0.25 ppm, nitrite was at 0.25 ppm, and nitrate was about 40 ppm.

So the past week I added 1-2 tablespoons of pH down morning and night, testing the pH as I went. (Didnt bother doing all the tests each day, since the ammonia-nitrite-nitrate series of tests take about 10 minutes to complete, whereas pH is immediate.)

Happily, Ive gotten my pH down to 6.6.

Unhappily, my nitrite and nitrate have shot up.

Happily, the remedy for high nitrate is to plant more plants. So here are the new additions:

Rosemary

Red Sails Lettuce

Cucumbers (3 plants)

Sequoia strawberry (3 plants)

Better Belle pepper

Cherry tomato

Butter Crunch lettuce

Next project: finish enclosing the ends of the greenhouse...

Someones been eating the cabbage...

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DIY Aquaponics Review

Murray Hallams Latest Aquaponics DVD

My birthday was this month, and I hinted and suggested and hinted some more about what I really wanted - Murray Hallams latest DVD, discussing how to make your own CHOP-2 system. The DVD plays in a regular DVD player, which is cool. And it also includes an extra feature, "Aquaponics: The First 12 Months!"

As soon as we got the DVD, I sat down to watch it. There are all kinds of tidbits, like how to actually dispatch ones fish when its time to cook them, and how to avoid dead zones in your grow beds.

Even though I wont be using IBC containers, I learned a lot from watching Murray and his team set up that system. I love to see the little innovations from film to film, and appreciate Murrays putting all that information out in such an accessible format - not just the content, but his delivery of the content.

Tonight I created an emergency mini-growbed for my backyard aquaponics system out of a 2x3 concrete mixing trough. I plumbed it with a small submersible pump from the local pet store (160 gph) and PVC bits from the local hardware store. It was cool to have a chance to incorporate the lessons Id learned from Murrays video. And I also incorporated a feature I saw in Sylvia Bernsteins bell siphon kit, a sliced media guard:

The AquaponicSource Bell Siphon w/ Media Guard

I also incorporated an idea that occurred to me after trying to plant seedlings in gravel. I have 3/4" gravel in the bottom of the grow bed, but I cover the top 2-3 inches in hydroton, aka expanded clay beads. Im hoping this will give me all the benefits of easy planting while retaining the cost benefits of gravel, not to mention the stability gravel gives tall plants that sometimes fall over in hydroton.

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Catfish yum

First Catch Fish Market

Yesterday I drove past the "tea pot house" off Route 60 near Buena Vista, VA. Its a funny looking little place, and for the longest time it seemed empty.

Now, however, it is a fish store. So on a whim we swung by. They had a variety of fish, but I decided to go for the catfish, since Im thinking of getting some catfish for my polyculture outdoor aquaponics system.

Took the fillets home, coated them with chili powder, salt, and pepper, then sauteed them in olive oil.

My daughter prefers salmon. But I cant raise salmon in my backyard...

I served up the fillets with a crisp garden salad and fresh berries. Very lovely!

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The Darkside of Aquaponics

This is a link to a discussion I started about the reality of aquaponic gardening. 
If you are thinking you would like to design an aquaponic system, and grow and abundance of food in a perfect nutrient cycle - Then READ THIS FIRST.

What about those claims of "Lettuce in 5 weeks"?  Is it true? 

Lettuce at 52 days Utility cost $67.00

Lettuce at 58 days no supplemental light.

LOL... I guess you could have eaten these plants at 5 weeks.

The aquaponics industry is full of wild claims.  You may have heard about the balance aquaponics brings to gardening.  Supposedly the fish food will provide all the nutrients save maybe the chelated iron.  If so why is there so much discussion about balancing nutrients within the system?

The claims that vegitables will grow faster stronger more disease resistant are hype.  Aquaponics is not that simple. There areaquaponic farms that consistently produce above average crops, but be aware they do it with professional farming techniques and pay close attention to the details.  Its like anything else; it only works if you are well trained to do the job.

So you say "Ill take a class and become a professional aquaponic farmer".   Im not going to tell you all these classes are a sham, but the truth is most who teach aquapponics do so to make ends meet.  They often dont even run a profitable aquaponics farm.   This industry is so new that there are no real credentials.  Whens the last time you heard someone say they were majoring in aquaponics?  Beware of the scams.

You may be wondering why I still practice aquaponics.  Its certainly not for profit, or to lower my food bill.  I simply like doing it, but after one year I have decided to sell my fish, and convert to Bioponics.  Ive also decided to plant with the seasons and not expect much growth during the Winter.  No more heating bills. No more lighting bills. No more fish food. 

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土耳其國會議員參訪 Visit of the Turkish Members of Congress

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Why And How of Aquaponics

Im still learning about aquaponics, but Ive become vested in this and want to learn everything I can to be successful.  In the beginning I ignored the problems others were having, and looked only at the positive results.  Its human nature to approach a new interest with optimism and look only at the positive results.

But I want to say right up front, this is not a hobby you can afford to make too many mistakes with.  You may watch Murray Hallams videos and think its as easy as plopping a few fish in a tank and growing some veggies in the water.  I dont wish to discourage anyone, but aquaponics is a carefully controlled environment that requires a lot more than meets the eye. 

A knowledge of aquaculture is a big plus.  Preferably you have experience with aquariums, and gardening before getting in too deep.  A well designed and maintained system will tend to run smoothly, but attention  to maintaining your system is important.   Water tests and careful monitoring of temperature, light, and nutrient levels is a must.

As I come across excellent studies pertaining to the design and operation of aquaponic systems I will include the links here with some commentary.  This will be an ever evolving post

To begin - Heather Oaks has made a short video of the a well engineered aquaponics system. - Heather Oaks Aquaponics.  Its very impressive and inspiring!  But remember this system is maintained on a professional level.  It does not just happen without a lot of expert knowledge, well defined procedures, and a fair amount of work.  This is dedication on a very high level, but smaller backyard systems still require the same attention.

I am not attempting to discourage anyone.   I simply wish to bring reality to the table.  Small systems tend to be more difficult to balance, but its a good way to gain the basic knowledge of aquaponics and find out if this is for you.

This article by Keith Connolly addresses the reasons why aquaponics is superior to other methods of farming.   He also explores the requirements of sustaining a healthy and productive system with facts and scientific research.  - Optimization Of A Backyard Aquaponic Food Production System.

My blog is about my aquaponic experience.  I present it so that others can learn from my failures as well as my triumphs.  Aquaponics is something anyone can learn to do.  Its very rewarding and as the world transcends further and further from self reliance this cutting edge paradigm shift is providing a much needed alternative to our food resources.  I hope you too will find aquaponics rewarding and fun.

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In the pursuit of happiness

Many people dont know the constitution, let alone any quotes from it.

Life - Well I have that. Sometimes I dont feel like it but I do.

Liberty - Yeah I kinda have that too. If Liberty is to govern yourself, however, my government is doing poorly because of...

The pursuit of happiness - oh yeah. The world is rushing by. I have tried to get through school the normal way...with a job and such but its not working. Unfortunately I know my rights and am pretty ballsy. I am not afraid to stand up for myself which has led management at work to fear me. Fear causes chaos in this sense. They watch me, target me, speak of me, but wont look at me and rarely talk to me. Management is poor at Wally World anyway and the company...well were slaves that is all. We are given incentives to stay with them so we wont go off and see that the world can be better. Clearly Im not happy here. The issue is that this place has turned me into a grump. Things I could normally handle in life are no longer tolerable. Im not super woman...I can only take so much tension.

So my crazy plan...QUIT! Yes thats right you heard me...Q-U-I-T! But in this economy? April you must be MAD! Yeah quite frankly but I can sit here worrying about the economy, be miserable, and not take the chances that are coming to me, OR I could do something about it.

But what chances???

Most places I have applied for (grooming salons, kennels, vet assistant jobs) ALL require experience. Now I find out shelters GIVE this experience. So why not run with it? I is my life after all!

But how will I survive?

Its not like food doesnt come from the Earth...

Ok well honestly some foods dont but do I really need those?

Everything else isnt expensive. Toilet paper, detergent (which I make), soap (which is also my detergent), toothpaste...thats like $10 every three months. Its not like I pay rent. Why am I not taking advantage of such a thing?

But in all honesty I do plan on getting some cash in the form of candle making. Soy candles with hemp wicks = very little pollution. Yes they are hard to find and, for some reason, are expensive. No they are not expensive to make. hmmm. Im not planning on getting rich. Even with the job Im with, I cant afford school and either way would need financial aid for it.

So my PLAN!!!

1) save up $2000 ish. Can probably be done in a couple of months. This is for stuff like a bike, pots, and plants.

Thats it.

seriously.

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All part of growing up

I blog now about as much as I see friends.

*sigh*

I miss people, not that Im solitary or anything...like a rabid cat. I feel terrible for a desperate cry for attention. Im feeling socialization, and even a bit overcrowded at times. But at the same time so alone.

so let me know whats up guys. Im curious...like this deer

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A Yarn About Microcontrollers And Textile Projects

Yesterday’s post on this blog was about the Tetris Shirt, a textile computing project. Today’s post will follow up on that topic with a couple related ideas and articles.

Conductive yarn

First up is the primary focus of the post -- ‘smart yarn. A few days ago I read a Wired article titled "This Smart Yarn Makes Gadget Interactions Magical." The article discusses a relatively unique approach to textile computing projects. This novel type of yarn combines conductive steel fiber and non-conductive yarn fiber.

"A new project from Royal College of Art student Yen Chen Chang explores what happens when you replace glass, metal and plastic with textile control mechanisms. The result? A totally new way to interact with our everyday devices. Using conductive yarn made from 80 percent polyester and 20 percent stainless steel...Chang knit and crocheted a series of

objects that control devices by pulling, squeezing and stroking. When manipulated, the overlap of the metal fiber causes the textile to change conductivity which is then measured by an Arduino and communicated to the gadgets...Chang developed the

Squeezy Juicer, a juicer that only works when you squeeze an oversized knit ball between two people. The faster you squish the ball, the quicker you’ll have your orange juice...“When you integrate different sensing technology into today’s electronics, you can make something look totally different,” he says."

Dezeens article explains how Changs conductive yarn came to be.

"Knit Sensors was Yen Chen Changs graduation project from the Design Products course at Londons RCA, and involved experimenting with conductive textiles to provide a more tangible alternative to touch screens and other typical interfaces...The designer began his project by exploring the possibility of knitting standard electrical cables into self-supporting structures, which he realised generated a small amount of resistance because of the complexity of their intertwined surfaces. Recognising that manipulating the surfaces affected the amount of resistance, Chang began to explore the possibility of weaving with conductive yarns connected to sensors that translate actions like stretching and pulling into voltage changes."

Yarn glove electronics

Two other websites to look at if this yarn is of interest to you are the alphafit and Eeonyx sites. The alphafit technology involves pressure sensitive textiles. The company states:

"For the first time it is now possible...to measure surface pressure on three-dimensional variable surfaces. The filament itself measures the pressure. We have developed a textile system that works without the need of inserting any industrial sensors. This measurement system can be integrated into any textile."

Eeonyx makes an electronics-friendly yarn that is says consists of,

"...a conductive polymer coated yarn with precisely tunable electrical resistance and excellent uniformity of linear resistance. EeonYarn™ is durable, able to stand up to real world conditions of abrasion and repeated washings. Applications for EeonYarn™ include radar absorbing fabrics and composites, resistive fabric heaters, and woven pressure sensors."

Adafruit tilt sensor

More readily available, or maybe lower cost, textile microcontroller (MCU) project supplies and techniques are described in Adafruits datasheet titled "Handcrafting Textile Sensors From Scratch." This PDF document shows a whole slew of supplies and tools for textile sensor projects. It shows the basics of making textile sensors such as a pressure sensor matrix and a tilt sensor. A worthwhile read for someone interested in textile computing projects. Another great background guide for this topic is Katies "Soft Electronics Tutorial."

Two other random textile computing items Ill throw in here at the end are the Lilypad Arduino, an alternative to the Adafruit FLORA mentioned in yesterdays blog post, and ChipChicks article titled "Dragon Inspired Outfit Hits the Fashionware Runway Show" which has some pretty interesting projects. The Lilypad has been used in many projects -- just Google   Lilypad project   and youll find more wearable computing projects than you have time to read about. The ChipChick article, although not solely about MCU fashion items, does talk about relevant products, saying:

"CE Week may be over but the fashion will always live on. A one stop shop for NY’s geek-erati, but this year they got treated to a bit of high fashion as well. The runway show combined wearable fitness, one of a kind high tech fashion design, robotics, and program for young kids...The Dragon Queen is a collaborative design evolved from Victoria Secret Wings...The dragon interacts with the audience through a mobile app that controls its movement through WiFi.

Lilypad Arduino

The dragon’s power comes from a combination of an EZ robot controller, a speaker, 3D printed eyes, and LED strip lights...Strokes and Dots is an outfit inspired by early modern art but it combines speed, graphic design and technology. The LEDs woven into the fabric are motion and sound responsive..."

The textile computing world is big and getting bigger every day! What project would you like to do with fabrics and microcontrollers? If you do a lot of fabric work and want help with the microcontroller or electronics part of your project, consider coming to a Humboldt Microcontrollers Group meeting and explaining what youd like to do. Or ask questions you have about how MCUs work or what their capabilities are. Well do our best to help you out, and it might result in you heading out into a whole new world of fabric projects.

**********

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Ive been inspected

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
His name is John Odenkirk, and hes Certified Fisheries Scientist #2043. Hes the guy who inspects aquaponics facilities for the neighboring 11 counties - required for facilities that are requesting permission to raise tilapia.

He came. He snapped. He left.

It was a pretty painless process. And after he conveys the form and picture to the right people, my permit should be in the mail in a matter of a couple of weeks.

I was happy to show him my auto-siphon. Didnt look like hed seen one of those before. And I was happy to show him my current water chemistry: 7.6 pH, 0.0 ppm Ammonia, 0.0 ppm Nitrite, and 80.0 ppm Nitrate.

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Getting rid of Fruit Flies

Summer + Fruit + Vegetables = Fruit Flies

This summer we had an infestation of fruit flies. Now that its under control, I thought Id share what we did:

1) Clean everything. Sponges, walls, utensils, appliances. Warm, soapy water will wash off eggs, pheromones, and leave a soap film that they hate. And anything they hate, I love.

2) Spritz them out of the air with Rubbing Alcohol. Im actually not sure if alcohol kills them. But when they are flying around (in groups - shudder), it is satisfying to spray them and see them drop out of the air like lead balloons.

3) Trap them. For years weve used the standard cider vinegar in a glass with a drop of detergent. The detergent destroys the surface tension, so when the flies alight to drink the alluring liquid, its the fruit fly equivalent of quick sand. An open bottle or bowl is ok. Using a paper funnel to aid entrance and impede exit is better.

This year we got a bit more sophisticated. We stuck a drinking straw through a capped plastic bottle. Theres an exit cut into the straw, so the flies can get from the straw to the liquid. I also mixed wine vinegar with the cider vinegar, which seems to have attracted more flies than the traps that only had cider vinegar.

4) Vacuum them up. This last technique works best with individual flies on a flat surface. Turn on the vacuum in the center of the room. Carefully lay the nozzle along the wall at least 2 inches from the fly. Edge the nozzle towards the fly - by the time it tries to take off, itll likely get sucked straight into the vacuum.

You can try to vacuum them out of the air, but dont expect to succeed.

5) Squish them. Once youve calibrated your fruit flies, you can sometimes simply squish them. Slowly place your squishing implement (e.g., hand) 1-2 inches away, or whatever youve determined is the comfort zone for your flies. Then BAM. If you have a fine mesh fly swatter, thats good. Ive also had good success with a crumpled plastic bag (increases effective surface area and breaks up the rush of air on which they typically escape).

Lastly, make sure you and yours clean up promptly and thoroughly after all interactions with food.

[Ive seen theoretical discussions of using a homemade fly paper made from nori and molassas, so the resulting molassas/seaweed/dead fly thing can be fed to fish. If anyone tests that hypothesis and finds it actually eliminates an infestation, that would be good to know.]

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NEWS VIEWS ARTICLES TO CHOOSE

Urban Local Food Workshop Series: Aquaponics & Aquaculture in Urban Settings Event Date:

Sat, 01/19/2013 - 9:30am - 12:00pm

GROW YOUR OWN - Free Urban Local Food Workshop Series
Location: Godman Guild, 303 E. 6th Street, Columbus, OH 43201
Dr. Laura Tiu of OSU Extension will present this informative session about the benefits of aquaponics to grow.................More

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VSU Researchers Exploring Aquaponics

by John Ogle

Mon, 01/07/2013

• VSU Researchers Exploring Aquaponics

Virginia State University is ready to begin construction on a unique research lab off campus in a downtown Petersburg warehouse............More

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Early Retirement Extreme Forums
--- for those on the fast track to financial independence
Early Retirement Extreme Forums » DIY Skills Questions
Aquaponics
Has anyone here ever tried aquaponics? For those that dont know its a cross between aquafarming and hydroponics. Basically you raise fish to eat and grow plants. The fish feed off the droppings from the plants, and in return the fish poo..........More


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Aquaponics – Another Great Solution – Feed Ourselves Organically For Free

What Is Aquaponics?

Aquaponics is a system to feed yourself. It produces organic fruits, vegetable, herbs, greens and other produce plus is produces fish.
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An aquaponics system has a series of beds that aren’t filled with soil, they are filled with.......More

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Portable Farms™ Aquaponics System Course© through Aquaponics University
Portable Farms™ Aquaponics System
Price for course: US$2,500.00 – After completing the Portable Farms™ Aquaponics System Course© satisfactorily, we will ship you the Portable Farms Kit so you can..........More

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Carolinass own guide to great gardening and landscaping. A State-by-State Gardening Publication

Sharon Johnson of Columbia, S.C., is a passionate gardener, a point that is made obvious by the fact that she lives on a small lot, full of concrete pads, yet she has found a way to have a beautiful garden full of flowers, fruits, vegetable and herbs. Some are in containers, some are not. Her blog will document the adventures of gardening in pots, fending off deer and small animals and the trials of organic gardening.

Aquaponics Update
by Sharon Johnson - posted 01/05/13
Well, I apologize for disappearing for so long.  Truth is, aquaponics is not as simple as it first sounds…the bell siphon takes awhile to adjust…then the water cycle itself took another six weeks…which seems like a long time to me, when its outdoors and mid-summer and my plants are still in tiny starter pots, languishing. Then the first batch of catfish proceeded to die on us...........More

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There we go... We are updated once more
Happy Reading
Back soon

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