User:Tim Mann
Susanne Friend and Tim Mann are the married partners in Friendly Aquaponics, Inc. We attended University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) Aquaponics Short Course in June 2007 to learn basic aquaponics. We built Friendly Aquaponics, Inc's farm in Honoka'a, Hawaii the summer of June 2007, and have operated it to the present present. My wife Susanne manages the farm, employees, and all administration; I herd the fish, dig ditches, and fix anything that breaks. Our farm is presently employing 4 people, and is providing 650 pounds per week of organic lettuce mix and other greens to our local community, as well as up to 200 lbs per month of tilapia (fish) sales.
Friendly Aquaponics, Inc, was the first in the world to achieve USDA Organic Certification for its aquaponics systems in 2008, and the first in the world to achieve Food Safety Certification for its aquaponics systems in 2009. Since then, around 65 of our Commercial Aquaponics Training students have gotten their aquaponics farms USDA Certified Organic. The company holds regular aquaponics classes and farm tours to share the benefits of farming aquaponically, which Susanne and I jointly host and teach.
We knew absolutely nothing about growing plants before we began, in fact we both had a long, sad history of killing houseplants. We both come from the business world, so farming is new to us. If we can do this, anyone can! In mid-2007, we became tired of having two businesses tied to the failing construction industry on the Big Island, and decided that we'd grow food. We are thrilled to have taken steps toward our own food security, and are honored to be sharing what we have learned, so that you your journey toward food freedom can be easier.
What started out as the desire to make a good living from growing food has slowly turned into a crusade. We are committed to undoing the industrialization of our food supply. If you have not read "The Omnivore’s Dilemma" by Michael Pollan, and seen the movie “Food, Inc.” (now out on DVD, and on Netflix), then you really must do so, to fully understand what has happened to our food supply since the end of World War II. And it has spread to the rest of the world now as well, with McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s spreading like viruses….
We stand for local, organic, non-processed, real food, and that is what we grow on our farm, to feed our family. We hope you join us, as America moves from being known as the “Fast Food Nation” to a country filled with “Slow Food Communities.” We believe if you do not grow it yourself, at least you should know the grower!
