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Warrior tribe: veteran utilization of aquaponics to fight loneliness
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Warrior tribe: veteran utilization of aquaponics to fight loneliness
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1
Running Head: WARRIOR TRIBE CAPSTONE
Capstone Paper
Warrior Tribe: Veteran Utilization of
Aquaponics to Fight Loneliness
Chloe Wisdom
Professor Manderscheid, Cohort 5
Doctor of Social Work
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
October 28, 2019
WARRIOR TRIBE
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Executive Summary
The Golf War conflicts are the longest running wars America has ever been engaged in, lasting
over two-decades and spanning several countries across the Middle East and Asia. Thousands of service
members (SMs) have lost their lives or been critically wounded in the conflict zones, and more than a
million more have returned back home with invisible but debilitating mental health injuries. Since
September 11th, 2001, when the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
war campaigns first kicked off, mental health diagnoses among SMs have dramatically increased (Fulton
et al., 2015); the most common postwar diagnosis being combat related posttraumatic stress (PTS),
traumatic brain injury (TBI), generalized anxiety (GAD), moral injury, and depression (Ramsey et al.,
2017). These diagnosis all share a common symptom; social withdraw and isolation, which catalyzes
feelings of loneliness, leading to devastating wicked problems such as substance abuse, divorce,
homelessness, and suicide. In fact, many of these destructive outcomes and maladaptive, normative
behavior of SMs is a result of their combat derived mental health diagnoses and their feelings of
disconnect from the rest of society once they return from war (Echterhoff, Higgins, and Levine, 2009).
Due to this type of imagined order thinking (us versus them), the SMs endure an experiential loneliness,
rather than social, emotional, or existential feelings of isolation (Stein and Tuval-Mashiac, 2014).
Challenging perceived beliefs about not being able to fit in with society will require that SMs automatic
thinking which stratifies their veteran population from the rest be addressed.
Loneliness and isolation are part of several larger issues SMs and veterans are facing. Perhaps the
most concerning problem being veteran suicide. It is estimated that 20 veterans a day take their life
(McLure et al., 2018). Loneliness and isolation play a critical role in suicidal ideation and feeling
disconnected and being without valuable interpersonal relationships is often a contributing factor of
veteran suicide (Hathaway, 2017). The high prevalence of mental health diagnosis in post 9-11 combat
veterans has drastically raised feelings of loneliness and increased veteran suicide (Kang et al. 2015).
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Eradicating social isolation and loneliness will undoubtedly influence and help to curb veteran suicide.
Other related problems include veteran homelessness, unequal and inadequate access the healthcare, and
even veteran incarceration. Moreover, when social isolation and loneliness severely impact a SM or
veteran, it has second and third order consequences that contribute to larger social problems. Such effects
are family separation and divorce, loss of friendships and camaraderie, and even use of illegal substances
and self-medication. All of these outcomes effect or add to additional problems for society and the SMs
and veterans.
The social problem concerning isolation and loneliness is one that the entire population is faced
with, not just combat veterans and SMs. Typically, isolation and loneliness hit the older generation
harder than younger people (Courtin and Knapp, 2015), thus being proactive about the problem rather
than reactive to it will allow for intervention to prevent the elderly population from suffering later on.
The American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASW) recognizes the critical role
loneliness plays in overall health and wellbeing, thus they have named eradicating social isolation and
loneliness as grand challenge number five (AASW, 2017). Mental health practitioners must make this
grand challenge a priority as it concerns the post 9-11 combat veteran population. Left unaddressed,
mental health diagnoses, distressing symptoms, and wicked problems will continue to increase in SMs
and veterans.
The intervention that is needed is a full-scale immersion of combat veterans with civilians in a
healing environment in which they can challenge the norms of experiential loneliness, mental health
stigma, and wicked outcomes that emerge from untreated loneliness. The solution seems simple, increase
social interaction, social connections, and interpersonal relationships among veterans and civilians while
providing a healing environment and therapeutic setting. However, hand in hand we need to address the
cognitive appraisals SMs have of perceived social isolation, and how these thoughts contribute to feelings
of loneliness and perseverate the isolation (Stein & Tuval-Mashiach, 2015). Challenging this normative
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way of thinking will require an innovation disruptive enough to in turn change the behavior surrounding
the problem and the military culture which is inherently against asking for help and admitting suffering.
Only then after eliminating the normative behavior can the problem be eradicated.
The overarching project methodology and methodological tools that the innovative solution will
employ to address the problem are the use of the UCLA loneliness scale as a measurement of loneliness
pre and post innovation, and horticulture therapy and Care Farming for the innovation itself. As SMs
separate from active duty service, they will be invited to work at a Care Farm innovation based on their
loneliness scores on the UCLA loneliness scale. SMs and veterans most in need of help will be employed
at the innovation and receive a holistic horticulture therapy intervention, consisting of rehabilitative,
vocational, and community involvements.
Conceptual Framework
Statement of Problem
The American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare has identified Eradicating Social
Isolation as Grand Challenge number five in their Grand Challenge Initiative (AASWSW, 2017).
Eradicating social isolation will have a profound impact on mental health, specifically in the veteran
community. There are a myriad of negative outcomes and wicked problems that come out of leaving this
Social Work Grand Challenge unaddressed amongst service members and their military family members.
In fact, loneliness acts as a catalyst in mental health issues and poor health outcomes faces by military
members and veterans, and withdrawal from social interaction, dissociation, and isolation are typical
coping mechanisms employed by veterans suffering from mental health issues. PTSD, substance abuse,
depression, moral injury, TBIs, all share common symptoms and can lead to worsened problems such as
dissociation, damaged interpersonal relationships, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and
veteran suicide. Isolation and weakened social ties catalyze the aforementioned distressing symptoms and
lead to worsened mental health outcomes and overall lower life satisfaction. Focusing on eradicating
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isolation and loneliness can help to circumvent or prevent these other catastrophic consequences and
second and third order destructive outcomes in veterans, military members, and their families lives.
For combat veterans, loneliness and feelings of isolation are intensified by the stressors of
traumatic war experiences, which in turn have long lasting, detrimental effects on veterans’ physical,
mental, and neurological health (Stein et al., 2018). Many studies have shown that an outcome of
untreated loneliness and isolation may result in a reduction of ten years off an individual’s life expectancy
(Bodner & Bergman, 2016). Therefore, in order to increase overall health and wellbeing in combat
veterans and enable them to live long and healthy lives, resolving feelings of loneliness and isolation are
crucial to treatment strategy (Wisdom, 2019).
Literature and Practice Review of Problem and Innovation
In order to eradicate loneliness in combat veterans, the proposed innovation will be an
implementation designed around social theory and horticulture therapy elements. The program, Warrior
Tribe, proposes that loneliness may be disrupted through the creation of a self-sustaining, peer support
environment that utilizes horticulture and social therapy for veterans transitioning off of active duty
service. Warrior Tribe will not only aid in combat veterans’ adjustment to civilian life and build lucrative
business skills but will also teach them valuable relationship and social skill abilities needed to remain
connected and engaged with their peers. Through creating a healing, social environment the innovation
will resolve veterans’ feelings of experiential loneliness and isolation while simultaneously serving the
community with fresh, organic produce as well (Wisdom, 2019).
Research on loneliness and isolation data among the younger generation’s combat veterans is
lacking, as loneliness is a concept that is hard to articulate, define and quantify and has only just begun to
be studied in the context of combat veterans. As a result, the progress that has been made to date to
address loneliness in combat veterans is minimal, but there are some qualitative and statistical findings
that support the need for the proposed capstone innovation, nonetheless (Wisdom, 2019).
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A study done by Sara Kintzle, Nicholas Barr, Gisele Corletto and Carl A. Castro at the USC
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work (2018) examined challenges faced by veterans transitioning
off of active duty and how social connectedness plays a role in psychopathological symptom
manifestation. The purpose was to explore the role of social connectedness in the development of PTSD
and its correlation with combat exposure and military discharge (Kintzle et al, 2018). Findings revealed
strong social relationships act as a buffer to isolation and loneliness and are indeed protective factors and
measures of resiliency in overcoming combat related mental health outcomes.
Social Significance
Eradicating loneliness in SMs and veterans will allow for prevention of a myriad catastrophic
second and third order destructive outcomes in military members and their families lives too (Bjornestad,
2014). Which is why Warrior Tribe will address this specific grand challenge, as it has potential to
resolve many undesirable social problems at once. The most recent United States Census Bureau data
reveals there are 18.5 million veterans living in America (census.gov, 2017). Though there are no
numbers which specifically quantify how many of those veterans are affected by loneliness and isolation,
it is estimated that number is in the millions. A recent study conducted by Kuwert, Knaevelsrud, and
Pietrzak (2014) found that 44% of veterans reported feeling lonely; creating a potential for 7.4 million
veterans to be suffering from loneliness and isolation.
There have been 1,150,328 SMs who have served since the Gulf War and the wars post September
11th, 2001 (census.gov, 2017). As of 2016, four million of these veterans have a service connected
disability (census.gov, 2017). Additionally, 1.3 million veterans had a disability rating of 70% or higher
(census.gov, 2017), meaning their disabilities were permanent and more severe. 9.1% of veterans and
13.4% of combat infantry personnel suffer from PTSD with a thirty-day prevalence and 21.8% of veterans
returning from post 9-11 conflicts report suffering from PTSD (Haller et al., 2016). Over 250 thousand
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veterans have PTSD symptoms that they’ve reported to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and
thousands more remain unreported (Wisdom, 2017).
Why these numbers are relevant to the selected problem is because mental health injuries, such as
PTSD, anxiety, depression, moral injury, acute stress disorder all go hand in hand with physical injuries
and disabilities obtained from war (Wiseman, Foster, & Curtis, 2013). So, those SMs and veterans
suffering from disabilities (over 1.3 million) are the same who are likely to be affected by mental health
injuries, which act as catalysts to loneliness and isolation, giving further credence to the estimate that
there are likely millions of veterans suffering from loneliness (Wisdom, 2018).
Conceptual Framework
Theory of Change
The theory supporting implementing an innovative organization that operates as an aquaponics
business is that horticulture has shown to be extremely therapeutic. Moreover, humans have a primal
need to experience a shared reality with others (Echterhoff, Higgins, & Levine, 2009), therefore a
community aquaponics center brings people together for social immersion. Peer groups and
strengthening social connections are critical in deterring loneliness and isolation, and Warrior Tribe will
provide that, bringing SMs and veterans together with civilians for healing under the premise of a Care
Farm aquaponics business. It is imperative that stimulating social support to help the veteran cope with
traumatic memories is constantly promoted at the center and carried out in a way that gives veterans
meaning and a mission to attend to, such as keeping plants and the business itself going. Warrior Tribe
will provide a safe, healthy environment that doubles as a cathartic setting with therapeutic benefits to
veterans while it brings to light the causes of isolation and works to resolve them (Burnell, Nedds, &
Gordon, 2017).
Comprehensive data shows that using a dialogical narrative approach to peer relationships has a
positive effect on SMs well-being also (Caddick, Phoenix, and Smith, 2015). Story telling permits
WARRIOR TRIBE
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veterans to process their experiences and reframe their internal dialog while building camaraderie,
stimulating deeper connections, and countering negative effects of combat related mental health diagnoses
(Caddick, Phoenix, and Smith, 2015). Warrior Tribe will therefore include dialogical narrative therapy
sessions daily for the veterans working in the aquaponics center. Trained staff will be on hand to
facilitate the sessions and guide the veterans through healing between the veterans normal horticulture
therapy activities.
Problems of Practice and Innovative Solutions
Proposed Innovation and its Effects on the Grand Challenge
The name of the proposed program will be Warrior Tribe. The name itself is indicative of support;
tribe. The aim of the organization will be to create a community for transitioning military personnel and
thus having the word warrior in the name is suggestive of the military and revere, while "tribe" tells
people right from the start that they will find support here. This message is extremely important to
convey, as tackling loneliness in the military community is the problem this organization will be seeking
to eradicate, so the message must come across clearly in the name. Moreover, the social mission Warrior
Tribe will set out to solve is to create a community that serves veterans and their families while
simultaneously constructing an environment of mutuality and understanding (Wisdom, 2018). This
mission will consequently work to solve the Grand Challenge of isolation and loneliness through its
community setting.
Key Stakeholders
There are many are people with first- and second-order relationships to the problem of social
isolation in veterans. The family members of those suffering are directly affected by the outcomes of
social isolation and loneliness. Consequently, many family members are burdened with burn out,
vicarious trauma, and strained interpersonal relationships. Veterans are even shown to have higher rates
of divorce than their civilian counterparts. Likewise, the close friends of SMs are impacted as well, since
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the SM or veteran becomes recluse and disconnected from their peers as a result of their suffering.
Medical and mental health practitioners feel the burden of the social issue too, as social isolation and
loneliness worsens distressing psychological symptoms and can catalyze or cause subsequent diagnoses
too. Civilians are stakeholders in the problem as well, as the SM or veteran’s inability to integrating or
relate to civilian society is a norm keeping isolation in place and the two populations disparate. Finally,
the military itself suffers an impact of the detrimental outcomes of the problem at hand, as SMs who
suffer from the problem may have lower job performance, end up getting discharged from service, or may
even succumb to veteran suicide; taking its toll on Soldier readiness and force numbers (Wisdom, 2019).
It is crucial the aforementioned stakeholders are involved in the planning, execution, and operation
of Warrior Tribe, as each brings their own unique perspective of the social problem and will be able to
provide input on how the issue may be tackled. Warrior Tribe plans to bring in representatives of each
stakeholder group to bi-monthly working groups. Hosting meetings involving all the stakeholders,
monitoring progress, evaluating UCLA-Loneliness scale scores, and providing feedback and input on how
to continue reaching the programs goal will be crucial to success of the program.
Evidence and Current Context for Proposed Innovation
The Warrior Tribe innovation is well positioned to resolve the grand challenge problem within the
target population, with respect to evidence regarding the broader landscape of history, policy, practice,
and public knowledge and discourse, as well as the contextual environment.
The American Horticulture Therapy Association has researched and accredited the use of
horticulture as an effective form of treatment with positive effects on many individuals with various
mental health illnesses (AHTA, n.d). Of significant importance for the target population as well as in the
history of horticulture therapy, the technique was used for rehabilitative purposes on hospitalized war
veterans during the 1940s and 1950s (AHTA, n.d). This significantly expanded the acceptance of
horticulture therapy practices and proved its efficacy on a wide range of patients (AHTA, n.d).
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Gardening encourages human growth and wellness (Lewis, 1996). It does this through enhancing
pride and self-esteem, requiring deep personal involvement in a process, patience and delayed
gratification for the plants, awareness of natural forces and rhythms in nature, interdependence and
partnership between gardeners, giving gardeners a sense of purpose, focused attention and relief of stress,
and restoration of mental fatigue to name a few benefits (Lewis, 1996). Kaplan and Kaplan (1989) and
Ulrich (1999) found that gardening provides mental growth, brain development, and function,
psychological benefits such as tranquility, healing, and emotional health, improved human relationships
and communication, physiological conditioning, an income from selling the produce, improved
surroundings and environment, healthy food, and education in diverse topics. Finally, horticulture
therapy fosters an increase in the body's production of oxytocin.
Horticulture therapy provides a setting for social and wellness purposes too. Benefits shown are
increases in general health and overall quality of life as well as social interaction encouraged through the
community setting (Horticulture Therapy Manual, n.d). Today, horticulture therapy is used for a wide
range of diagnosis and therapeutic options; to include rehabilitative, vocational, and community
modalities (AHTA, n.d).
Care Farms are becoming ever more prevalent for the abovementioned reasons and due to the
continued advancements in research and findings on the benefits of gardening to mental health. A Care
Farm is an agriculture setting for horticulture therapy (Sempik & Bragg, 2013). At Care Farms, the
relationship between growers, staff, and clients are purposeful and involve meaningful tasks to create
therapeutic experiences while at the same time producing a crop for profit and providing an income to its
beneficiaries.
For Warrior Tribe, the modality and setting will be three fold. Warrior Tribe will serve as a
horticulture therapy with a vocational focus, yet allow employee patients to benefit from the rehabilitative
and community aspects of its operations. Essentially, a Care Farm, Warrior Tribe will utilize horticulture
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activities to facilitate change in the combat veteran employee and reduce loneliness and isolation through
aquaponics business practices. Horticulture therapy is proven to break down obstacles in the way of
communication and will encourage cooperation between the combat veterans and civilian participants;
vital in Warrior Tribe’s ability to solve the grand challenge problem.
Comparative Assessment of Other Opportunities for Innovation
There are over 45,000 nonprofit organizations currently in existence with missions dedicated to
serving our military veterans and their families (bushcenter.org, n.d). These organizations all focus on a
myriad of problems and needs pertaining to military veterans and their families. As it concerns the niche
Warrior Tribe is focusing on, which is loneliness and a Care Farm, the most similar innovations are the
Veterans to Farmers nonprofit and the Farmer Veteran coalition. Both of these missions encourage
veterans to use farming to learn fulfilling and sustainable lifestyle trades post military service. The
Veterans to Farmers nonprofit trains veterans who wish to get into farming in agriculture systems,
technologies, and business operations. It assists in veterans’ transition from active duty to civilian life by
encouraging and enabling veterans to get into the agriculture business, learn a new skill, and reap the
benefits of farming. The Farmer Veteran Coalition cultivates new farmers by reaching out to the military
community to help veterans develop viable employment solutions and careers post military separation as
well. The Farmer Veteran Coalition additionally acknowledges that agriculture provides veterans with a
sense of purpose, opportunity, and physical and psychological benefits. Albeit, the Veterans to Farmers
and Farmer Veteran Coalition are both nonprofit organizations, reliant on donations, grants, and funding
from charitable assistances. Moreover, the organizations encourage veterans to become business owners
or agricultural farmers themselves, as individuals; which does not promote continued social connections
or focus on resolving loneliness.
Comparative Market Analysis
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There are other organizations out there with similar missions, however this one is different as it
does not involve a hospital setting, or military regimented lifestyle, or an environment where drinking and
substance abuse is condoned (such as the social environment the Veterans of Foreign Wars creates inside
of bars). An aquaponics greenhouse provides a unique and restorative setting not commonly employed by
treatment centers, military hospitals, Veterans Affairs care, military non-profit organizations, or civilian
practitioners alike.
Agriculture Market Comparison
North Carolina has a lengthy record of agriculture and has been a leader in produce and poultry
production for years, as well as a frontrunner in forestry. The agriculture industry grew by 10% from
2007 to 2012 as a new face in farming cropped up; newly established family-owned farms began pursing
organic and sustainable farming, and farmers started changing from growing tobacco to other crops.
Sweet potatoes, strawberries and greenhouse vegetables are becoming more and more popular. In 2012,
the market value of products sold from Harnett County farms alone, one of the many counties that
encircle Fort Bragg, NC, exceeded $190 million. The Harnett County Center of the North Carolina
Cooperative Extension partners with communities to deliver education and technology that enrich the
farming network (harnettedc.org, n.d). Warrior Tribe will have to keep this in mind as it plans to be a
leader in the agriculture industry in order to fund its mission to help veterans. Warrior Tribe intends to
give educational tours for agritourist purposes and showcase the technology used in the aquaponics
systems while educating people on this unique type of crop production. Selling tilapia will also separate
Warrior Tribe from its poultry competitors, as there is only one other fish farm in Cumberland County.
More on the pricing based on the competitions rates can be found in the business plan, in Appendix B.
How Innovation Links to Proposed Logic Model and Theory and Change
The key components of this venture will be the healing environment that brings together like
minded individuals who have similar experiences, but in a way that is indicative of restoration and made
WARRIOR TRIBE
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less intrusive through a vocational setting. It will be a business rather than a nonprofit however as the
business aspect gives veterans it serves a mission, a purpose, and a reason to keep going while providing a
self-sustaining profit. Additionally, it will give back to those it sells to by providing healthy produce that
is aquaponically grown. The goal is to open a Warrior Tribe aquaponics greenhouse near every military
base, where it can provide the produce to military dining facilities, commissaries, and restaurants and
surrounding communities and be fully staffed by veteran employees who need the social connections
most. Having the veteran employees provide the military town and installation with vegetables they grow
allows them to continue to remain connected to the military as they transition to the next mission in their
life and off of active duty service. Intercepting veterans at their most vulnerable time, the period of
transition from military to civilian life, allows for the program to intervene during a crucible moment
when SMs and veterans may be suffering the effects of loneliness and isolation the hardest.
Furthermore, the program will provide resources and connections to veterans who want to come
and just seek direction. By way of an onsite location at each greenhouse were a case worker is available
to connect service members and veterans to helpful resources and nonprofits out there already in existence
that may suit their specific needs outside of loneliness and isolation. So, SMs and veterans will not have
to work there or be a customer of the produce in order to reap its benefits. Moreover, horticulture therapy
and narrative therapy dialogs will take place for the veteran employees, so they will be undergoing
additional interventions within the innovation itself.
Research has shown horticultural therapy and the use of community gardens can do just that; bring
people together, provide a therapeutic intervention, and give veterans a place to go where they are around
others with similar experiences. Operations of the business would also simultaneously bridge the gap of
understanding between the civilian population and war veterans; which is crucial in solving the problem
too.
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Logic Model
Project Structure and Methodology
Prototype
See Appendix A and B for Project and Business Plans
Structure Using the Theory of Change
The Innovation’s theory of change uses horticulture therapy to successfully address loneliness and
isolation by introducing the target population to an environment that fosters behavior change and social
connections. The focus of the daily aquaponics activities will be centered around five applied uses of
horticulture therapy; producing the product, the therapeutic process of gardening, skill competency and
WARRIOR TRIBE
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performance, the individual interacting with others, and the individual interacting with the healing
environment.
The curriculum will involve having the veteran employees set goals to improve social interaction
from day one of the program and ensuring to address them during their daily activities. Such structure
will include setting personal goals to improve communication skills, like increasing communication, eye
contact when speaking, and initiating conversation. Setting tasks, such as growing a certain kind or
amount of produce to sell to the military community that is healthy and creates a steady stream of income.
Defining a processes through facilitating sessions for each employee or shift group which include
planning and preparation for each crop, offering the opportunity for communication and conversation to
plan and execute each produce crop and the process in which is gets done the most efficiently and
effectively.
Additionally, aspects of horticulture therapy that will be part of the innovation and theory of
change are; 1) participant needs are identified through assessment taken pre and post innovation with the
UCLA Loneliness Scale 2) an intervention plan based on individually identified goals and objectives 3)
setting measurable goals and objectives that can be measured in behavioral terms, which include
modifications based on personal goals and needs 4) intervention is activity based 5) documentation is an
essential part of the process to ensure that both progress and ongoing needs are communicated (Haller,
Kennedy, & Capra, ).
Project Implementation Methods
Intercepting the service member at the point in which loneliness and isolation starts will make the
biggest impact on the grand challenge problem. There’s no telling how combat will change a person, but
we can be certain trauma exposure will lead to an increased chance of mental health diagnosis; many of
which all cause social withdraw. So, in developing an innovation which stops the social withdraw before
it worsens, society has its best chance at fighting loneliness and isolation. More often than not, service
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members and veterans encounter the most detrimental and increased feelings of loneliness as they
transition off of active duty and into civilian life. Therefore, intercepting the problem where the service
member needs it most will be at the point of their transition from active duty to civilian life. This is when
service members are most at risk to no longer staying socially connected or involved in a mission.
Based on the many issues at work during the transition process, the innovation program may do
well to focus more specifically on proactive identification of problems and raising awareness, rather than
awaiting more severe issues in the future and applying damage control. Validation of the difficulties of
the separation transition, veterans’ feelings of isolation, and the importance of veteran community support
may help newly transitioning veterans find advocates who may help them navigate existing assistance
programs.
Projected Business Timeline
Prior to the arrival of the greenhouse equipment, the ground can be leveled and floor prepared,
electrical service installed or upgraded (if needed), installation of a propane tank or natural gas lines to the
site, fresh water lines to the site, trenching and other infrastructure can be put into place.
It is estimated that it will take 4-6 weeks to complete the construction of the greenhouse by a
professional construction company. Following that, the aquaponics system and all related equipment can
be installed, which will take another 3-4 weeks. Typically, the greenhouse manufacturer can recommend
a team to construct the greenhouse and Nelson and Pade, Inc.® can provide a team to install the
aquaponics system.
Once the system is installed and filled with water, there is a start-up period for an aquaponic
system of about 6 months before the systems are in full production. Initially, the fish nursery will be
stocked at this time and then the main culture system, one tank at a time, which later results in regular
harvests of fish. Once the main system has been running for 6-8 weeks, plants may begin to be added.
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Then, plant production will slowly increase, with another new section of plants added every week, until
the rafts are at full production.
Time for Performance
Consultants will perform the services according to the Schedule of Work set forth below, which
was accrued from project plans purchased from and written with Nelson and Pade. This timeline is based
on the execution date projected. The timeline might vary depending on site evaluations, discussions,
input from stakeholders, and quotes from manufacturers and contractors.
The project planning will be conducted in three parts:
1: One - three weeks after consultant receives the signed agreement and payment: Project discussions;
exchange of information relating to the building, environmental needs, growing systems, etc.
2: One - three weeks after part 1: Preliminary Report. Consultant will prepare a preliminary report based
on the communications and information gathered to date. The purpose of the preliminary report is to
provide a project overview, concepts and early cost estimates. Fine tuning of the project plan will result
from this preliminary report.
3: Two - four weeks after part 2. Completion of the Project Plan Report. Consultant will prepare and
deliver the complete Project Plan Report. Consultant will be available to meet with Client in person or by
phone to discuss the details of the report.
Financial Plans and Staging
Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020
Dec ‘19 Jan ‘20 Feb ‘20 Mar ‘20 Apr ‘20 May ‘20 Jun ‘20 Jul ‘20 Aug ‘20
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Budget Allocation Draft
Outlined below is a budget plan for the Warrior Tribe Care Farm. It includes first year revenue
projections, discussion of each phase of the program’s expected operations and some of its associated
units of service, consideration of significant cost elements, a line item budget for Warrior Tribe’s
proposed program’s first full year of operation, and discussion of the budgeted “bottom line”. This
budget was developed in conjunction with Nelson and Pade, an Aquaponics company who sells project
plans and budgets for franchise aquaponics businesses, they are the leading industry expert in their field.
Budget Format and Cycle
The budget format that Warrior Tribe will follow will be an Operational budget format. This is a
flexible budget plan developed for a private company, which is tied specifically to the activities of the
business. This particular cycle will help the directors to better regulate the production conditions and
identify the company’s decision-making bottle-necks on a timely basis using the tools of multi-choice
analysis (Nazarova et al., 2016). It will incorporate continuous process improvement into the budget
cycle through this model as well to guarantee both effectiveness and efficiency. With an operation budget
cycle the managers are capable of proactively responding to the circumstances as they ebb and flow,
instead of being limited to reactive behavior only (Nazarova et al., 2016). The operational budget will
include planning strategically of specific department activities, units of production, management and
administrative costs, operating costs, equipment costs, supply costs, and salary costs anticipated.
Revenue Projections
Warrior Tribe is projected to have a return on investment of roughly $26,000 annually based on
the estimated size of the greenhouse and deducted overhead initial costs in the first year. This number
was calculated with information from Nelson and Pade, where the greenhouse and aquaponics system will
be purchased from, as well as the average cost per pound of the fish and produce expected to yield in
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sales, and the amount produced based off the greenhouse size. The initial business will include one
greenhouse that is 71’ x 110’, and includes 6-500 gallon fish tanks. It is an aquaponics system, so keep in
mind the plants grow atop the fish tanks. Both the fish and plants will be products Warrior Tribe can sell.
According to Nelson and Pade, that size greenhouse produces 5,000 pounds of tilapia per year, and tilapia
sells for $5-6 per pound. Total profit for the year would be around $25,000 then. Additionally, in this
size system one can expect 90,000 pounds of leafy vegetables per year, and at $.90 per pound that
accounts to $81,000 in profitable sales. The system itself costs $82,000 initially however, and the
revenue would be roughly 106k in first year with one greenhouse. Which, would not be enough of a
profit turnaround. Albeit, an advantage of aquaponics systems is you can grow virtually any crop in
them. So, in order to increase profit and even production, Warrior Tribe would experiment in growing
more lucrative crops such as microgreens. Prices for microgreens generally range from $30 to $50 per
pound. The product is packaged in plastic clamshell containers that are typically 4–8 oz by weight but
can be sold in one pound containers as well. So, if the system can produce 90,000 pounds of produce in a
year, we can estimate it can produce at least that in micro greens. However, microgreens grow much
faster, so you can harvest more per year, and they take up less space, so you can grow more at once.
Consequently, the crop production will be way higher. Keeping with 90,000 pounds as an estimate
however, times $30 per pound, the profit would be $2,725,000 off the microgreen crop and tilapia
together.
Going into the second year, Warrior Tribe will transition to a commercial 300 size greenhouse.
This is expected to cost $250,000. However, with 8 – 1200 gal fish tanks, Warrior Tribe will produce
19,000 pounds of tilapia per year, which would produce a profit of $104,000. This larger system of
greenhouses would produce 300,000 heads of lettuce or leafy green vegetables, which would in turn yield
a profit of roughly $270,000 based on the abovementioned price per pound estimates. Assuming Warrior
Tribe only produces 300,000 pounds of microgreens a year, and they sell at the lower end of the market
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price for $30 per pound, we would receive a profit of $9,000,000 in one year alone on this crop. Which is
something to keep in mind. Warrior Tribe will be flexible and adaptive with its crops in order to meet
market demands as well as profit the highest return on investment to better support its social venture and
business aspect as well.
Phases/Major Steps of Intervention
The major steps will involve strategic planning, pricing, fiscal management, quality control checks,
assessment of performance, constant metric gathering for statistical comparison for quarterly reviews,
labor required estimates to prepare to hire and serve the veterans, and business potential as well as
customer contracts.
Starting out, the management of Warrior Tribe will need a well-defined understanding of the initial
startup costs, operation costs and projected income and revenue, and size and number of equipment and
supplies required to achieve the abovementioned green houses. Additionally, Warrior Tribe will need a
plan for training and support to demonstrate that it is able to adequately prepare its workforce and serve
its targeted population and therefore be a good Benefits Corporation that prepares veteran and provides
them with a healing, social environment, while at the same time producing quality, marketable products
such as fish and produce. Warrior Tribe will have to prove it’s philanthropic efforts each year and
reapply annual to remain in Benefits Corporation status.
As it concerns the social welfare aspect of the venture and the intervention theory of Warrior Tribe,
the major phases will be identifying which clients to hire; as those in need of social connections and
suffering from loneliness are who Warrior Tribe aims to serve within the business operations itself.
Outreach efforts and targeting of this specific population is where the program will ultimately begin, as
this will identify the workforce that Warrior Tribe will hire. Then, the mission of Warrior Tribe will be to
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provide a healing, socially connected, relationship building environment for these veteran workers while
at the same time developing the program, growing the products, and selling the produce to neighboring
military bases and government contracts for food.
Units of Service
The units of service that Warrior Tribe will use to measure throughput and output for important
phases of the proposed intervention will be number of veterans and those in the military community who
are served, whether through jobs positions or by using the space to strengthen their social ties and
connections. This measure will be the most accurate metric for measuring program success as the mission
is ultimately to eradicate loneliness and isolation, one veteran at a time. The more veterans Warrior Tribe
can serve and provide a healing, connecting, positive environment for, the closer it will get to achieving
mission success. Monitoring scores on the UCLA loneliness pre and post intervention will further add
validity to the innovations success of treatment.
Staffing Plans & Costs
Staff and labor requirements for the initial greenhouse pilot system and accompanying
collaborative space will be only 15 veteran employee personnel, however, in the second year as Warrior
Tribe grows to a commercial sized system, it will require 35 employees to run operations. Additional
employees will include those veterans running the greenhouse operations, administrative duties, mental
health practitioners facilitating therapy, and the case workers (providing social benefits services that
consist of providing social support and a safe, communicative space for nonemployee veteran to come and
use free of charge for therapeutic benefits). The level of training will be a minimum of a 4 day course for
each veteran to teach grower staff the basics of aquaponics, and immerse them in the supportive
environment right away. Once the veteran is trained they can start working, additionally education on
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resources and case specific help will be provided when the veterans set their individual goals of therapy
with the mental health practitioners on staff. Additionally, staff will receive basic courses on horticulture
therapy to provide to veteran visitors who come to enjoy the environment and not just work there.
Personnel salary costs for the veteran employees will be $50,000 starting out. This is a base salary and
once benefits are calculated, Warrior Tribe can expect to pay another $15,000 for health care, dental, and
employee benefits per year, per employee. Obviously, Warrior Tribe will need to explore profit
maximizing crop sales, to raise and ensure higher employee pay, and open more additional greenhouses
across the country, so that employees are paid well enough to sustain a comfortable living and so Warrior
Tribe may employ a large number of veterans across the US. However, starting out at $50,000 per year
gives room for negotiating salaries and growth for employees to be promoted and receive bonuses or
incentive pay as well over time.
Other Spending Plans & Costs
For the startup year, a space of 5,280 sq. ft. is needed for the greenhouse area. A total cost of
$63,995 will be needed to purchase the entire system. This price will include all the equipment, planting
materials, aquaponics systems itself, and set up fees for an outside firm to come in and set up the
greenhouse. Additional expenditures will include salary, training, and travel costs of the initial employees
hired for the pilot program.
For the second year in operation, once the greenhouse expands, a space the size of at least 29,880
sq. ft. (to include the 4 – 41.5′ wide bays (166′ x 180′) will be needed for the commercial system. This
commercial system will cost $250,000 and will include all the equipment, planting materials, aquaponics
systems itself, and set up fees for an outside firm to come in and set up the greenhouse. Again, additional
expenditures will include salary, training, and travel costs of the initial veteran employees hired for this
size system and the salaries of the additional 10 mental health practitioners and case workers on hand.
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Line Item Budget
Expense YR1 YR2
1. Personnel 250,000 125,0000
2. Direct Costs, Equipment,
Set Up, initial fees
63,995 250,000
3. Operations 1,242 7,030
4. Communications 227 300
5. Travel 8,000 45,000
6. Meetings 348 588
7. Indirect costs 75,000 225,000
Totals 398,812 1,777,918
The above line item budget was created based on information provided on standard,
commercialized systems used and deployed by Nelson and Pade, by business services such as Vonage,
Goto Meeting, and heating and cooling information, insurances, and employee salaries. Additional
employee budgeting was gathered through open source resource and comparison of similar aquaculture
and greenhouse farms. All of the items included are crucial to program effectiveness as they are the
minimum required to run operations (Wisdom, 2018).
Benefits Corporation Status
Warrior Tribe will be a system that integrates social purposes with business methods. It’s two
determinations, pursuit of social and environmental aims and the use of business methods to achieve
profit and remain in existence (Fourth Sector.net, n.d). Warrior tribe will exist in this new "fourth sector"
and embodying features like inclusive governance (board members), transparent reporting (public
records), fair compensation (which is why it will be a business and not just a nonprofit), environmental
responsibility (as it is an aquaponics venture), community service (with space open to veterans and
military families not just looking for jobs but who are seeking solace and social interaction as well), and
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contribution of profits to the common good (giving back when and where it can to further the
philanthropic mission it believes in).
The business of Warrior Tribe will be to have veterans and military family members work there to
grow vegetables and distribute the produce to military bases and their surrounding communities in a way
that enhances their quality of life, promotes growth, and generates prosperity not just for the veteran but
for the community too. The business will provide an income along with a return on investment, while
still serving a specific mission. Hiring veterans will not only draw on their commendable work ethic, but
create a supportive, healing, and productive social environment for them as well. For those in the military
community not interested in working at Warrior Tribe, there will be a space to come and hang out, get
connected with the resource, and share their stories while remaining socially connected to like minds. As
one can see, this is an organization that will blend business approaches with social and environmental
goals (B Corporation, 2018). The Benefits Corporation’s mission is ultimately to provide veterans with a
positive, productive, goal oriented, social environment that eradicates their loneliness and transitions them
from military to civilian life while strengthening their bonds and support systems. Profit is the secondary
mission, but still must be taken into account.
Project Impact Assessment Methods
Known scales will be used pre and post innovation intervention to assess the veteran’s loneliness
and PTSD, giving the study internal validity. The Impact Of Events Scale (Cronbach’s alpha score of .89
and .95), DSM IV PTSD criterion, UCLA Loneliness Scale (Cronbach’s alpha .93), and Perceived Social
Support Scale (Cronbach’s alpha .86) may all be used to measure the constructs of loneliness and PTSD
(Solomon et al., 2014) in the veterans who are referred to Warrior Tribe from the Army’s transition
assistance program for SMs exiting the military.
Internal validity of these surveys is comprehensive in the fact that they measured various
psychometric aspects of the veterans’ experience. Known, valid scales will be combined to measure
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PTSD (the PCL-5), combat experience (Combat Experience Scale), and social connectedness (Social
Connectedness Scale) and then compared against post innovation scores through bivariate correlates to
examine correlations between changes.
Upon referral to Warrior Tribe, the combat veterans will be asked to take the abovementioned
scales, administered by the mental health practitioners on staff or by one of the veteran’s own doctors.
Veterans with the most concerning scores will be priority for being accepted into Warrior Tribe as
employees and those with lesser degrees of loneliness will be invited to attend the group therapy sessions
as non-employee clients. Once in the Warrior Tribe program, combat veteran employees as well as
clients attending the therapy sessions will retake the assessment tools every two months so that their
progress many be monitored and their goals and treatment plan amended.
Research Design
Based on the type of sample and criteria outlined thus far, the most appropriate research design for
the proposed innovation and research problem is a nonequivalent treatment-comparison group quasi-
experimental type design. In other words, once a sample size is gathered, they will be put into an
experiment or control group for the initial pilot program. As far as monitoring and evaluation is
concerned, this type of design rules out all threats to validity, includes pre and post intervention tests, and
allows for all variables to be analyzed and considered in the assessment of the innovation. Having two
groups for comparison allows for the best observation of how the mediating variables interact and effect
(or do not effect) the subjects and also measures any changes in outcome based on an independent
variable’s introduction to the subject(s) during the program to one of the groups and finally, it allows for
measurements to better depict differences in outcome amongst the experimental and control group. The
final results of the pre and posttest UCLA Loneliness Scale scores, of both groups, would be analyzed in a
quantitative manner and would involve a Reliability-Corrected Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA)
statistical analysis of the findings while accounting for non-equivalent group design error as well as three
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variable input analysis (SocialResearchMethods.net, 2006). Of course, the ultimate aim is to show that
the proposed solution is indeed effective in decreasing loneliness post innovation in the experimental
group. (Wisdom, 2019).
Dissemination Plan
Lastly, once the program is up and running, expanding its success will be the next step in order
that the program serves as many of the target population as possible. In order to achieve wide
dissemination, recruitment efforts will start at military bases and involve connecting with Transition
Assistance Programs service members are mandated to attend as they prepare to leave active duty.
Additionally, efforts will include branching out to the VA, and reaching out to the Disabled American
Veterans (DAV) to fill their gaps in services and recruit combat veterans in need for the program. These
efforts will spread the word and success of the program and grow it at the same time. Finally, the goal
remains to eventually open and operate a Warrior Tribe program at every military base community across
the United States.
Engagement Plan
Scope
The scope will include United States Military veterans and currently serving Service Members.
Warrior Tribe will have to recruit locally at first, and the initial Care Farm business will be implemented
in the Fort Bragg area of North Carolina. This is a great location due to the large military base and
number veterans and families who surround the town. Fort Bragg is one of the largest military
installations and at any given time has roughly 50,000 Soldiers serving there, along with their families
stationed at their sides. This accounts to a population of nearly 300,000 in the immediate surroundings
who are all in the military community (Hammons, 2016). The proposed program will not be able to serve
this large of a population immediately, but will set its goals towards accommodating the post as needs see
fit. Starting out, it is estimated the program will be able to serve several hundred individuals in its first
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year of existence, accounting for consumers of the produce as well as walk-in veterans seeking assistance
(not employment). Though Warrior Tribe may not be able to hire many veterans at first, until the revenue
and profit can support it, the goal is to have foot traffic of hundreds of veterans and SMs as they come to
the center to share, seek support, and get connected with resources.
Internal Stakeholders
Internal stakeholders will be many; board members, executive staff, and employees. The board
members as well as the executive staff will be the sources of authority who direct the mission and goals of
Warrior Tribe. The budget planning will be written depending upon the specific mission and goals
decided upon by these internal stakeholders. Then, the products and services and associated costs will be
calculated to determine the budget needs, sales goals, and overhead costs.
Warrior Tribe will operate under the auspices of a board of six directors who are voted in, as it
will be a B Corporation, which fuses business and social benefit. However, there will be leadership staff
as well including, but not limited to, a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Program Officer, Chief Financial
Officer, and Chief Developmental/Marketing Officer to serve the for-profit enterprise part of the
organization. Leadership should enforce internal processes, effectively and efficiently, while ensuring
sustainability and maintenance of resources and activities. Cooperation and collaboration enable mission
accomplishment, thus interpersonal relationships and atmosphere are extremely important. The
ecosystem of the workplace must provide beneficial interactions, not challenge and circumvention of
guidelines that compromise integrity and procedures. Leadership will also play a large role in
strengthening social connections as a strategic priority in Warrior Tribe. Designing and modeling a
culture that supports connection is more important than any single program. This will require buy-in and
commitment from all levels of the organization, predominantly leadership. Having senior members of an
organization invest in building strong connections with other team members can set a powerful example,
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especially when leaders are willing to demonstrate that vulnerability can be a source of strength, not
weakness. (Wisdom, 2019).
Other internal stakeholders include the employees who do not serve on the board or executive
staff. The employees involved in day to day operations such as the service providers, product deliverers,
maintenance crew, administrative staff, gardeners, those responsible for packaging, sales and so forth.
The budget planning absolutely needs to consider these internal stakeholders, as their salaries and
equipment costs as well as any additional benefits offered all need to be accounted for.
External Stakeholders
The external stakeholders of Warrior Tribe would be the customers of the products the
organization will be producing, as well as the veterans and military members who the public service
sector of the organization will be seeking to help. As it concerns the consumers of the product, Warrior
Tribe’s revenue will be largely dependent on this group of major stakeholders. This dependency will
make the external stakeholders extremely influential and could have both positive and negative effects on
the organizations programs. Since the customer’s needs and wants and whether or not Warrior Tribe
meets them will determine the type and amount of product sold, it will give the customers ultimate budget
authority. A large part of Warrior Tribe’s budget will have to ebb and flow according to sales profits.
Consequently, the customers could then be both a source of constraint as well as support.
As it concerns the other major group of stakeholders, the veterans and military members (and their
families), they will be consumers as well but not ones who bring in revenue directly. Rather, they will be
stakeholders who Warrior Tribe targets are the mission’s beneficiaries; to benefit from the social
programs. Albeit, indirectly these stakeholders will have an influence on the budget as well. If Warrior
Tribe does not attract veterans or military members to serve or fails to meet its objective, profit and
Benefits Corporation status will be harder to earn.
Communication Strategies and Products
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In order to disrupt the norms, limits, and behaviors contributing to the destressing social problem,
an intervention on a grand scale must be implemented to systematically disrupt the longstanding beliefs of
SMs. It is true that interdependent actions layout social norms, and therefore the military, SMs, veterans,
practitioners, family and friends, and civilians must collectively join forces to implement a cohesive and
holistic social innovation. This type of grand scale, collaborative innovation would require that history,
traditions, and customs were challenged. To succeed, destructive ways of thinking that reinforce social
withdraw, isolation, poor interpersonal relationships, and loneliness need to be eradicated.
To best disrupt such a venerable practice, as the military and their customs and traditions are, the
intervention will have to take place on a large scale where it can take hold and subvert the ideals and
thinking of the entire military, all at once. That way, the deviant quickly becomes the majority. The best
way to accomplish that task would be to change policy and program at the same time. Changing the
practice of how mental health and resultant symptoms, such as isolation and loneliness, are viewed will be
one of the few ways to have a substantive effect on and subvert the social norm to ultimately re-write
behaviors.
To meet this collaborative goal to disrupt the norm, a strong communication plan needs to be
emplaced. Scheduled communications and exchanges as well as iterative meetings are vital to keeping
stakeholders involved and contributing to changing the culture, policies, and programs in place that are
destructive to SMs and veterans. Therefore, a structured communication plan will be followed to ensure
no party is left out as it concerns moving the innovation and culture deviant forward. Similarly, a
collection plan will be followed to ensure the data necessary for assessing the innovation and programs is
available and may be utilized to measure effectiveness and efficiency in the innovations many
dimensions.
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Communication Plan
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Data Collection Plan
Revenue and Profitable Enterprises
The main sources of revenue upon which Warrior Tribe will depend will be the for-profit business.
The for-profit will essentially create the social programs piece of the venture, as the more revenue the for-
profit draws in, the more it will have to use to support its social philanthropy mission. In order to best
serve the military community as a profitable enterprise, Warrior Tribe will seek out commercial and
government contracts to provide the healthiest produce to the commissary and dining facilities on military
installations as well as grocery stores in and around the Fort Bragg, North Carolina proper. All of these
contracts will provide the main source of revenue and support for Warrior Tribe.
Second to the vegetable produce and fish production sales, the ultimate mission of Warrior Tribe
is to serve the military community and create an atmosphere conducive to mutual experiences, social
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connections, transitioning from military to civilian life, and connecting veterans with services they are in
need of. The social good aspect will drive the Benefits Corporation part of Warrior Tribe and allow it to
serve the target population with a social purpose.
Ethical Considerations
As subjects involved in the innovation are vulnerable, having experienced trauma being that they
are combat veterans, ethical considerations will be taken into effect by all professionals involved in the
program. This includes ensuring the subjects are not re-traumatized by the loneliness or PTSD survey
they are administered or by the Warrior Tribe program itself and the therapy sessions that occur within it.
Moreover, it is imperative the subjects’ vulnerability will not be exploited, regardless of the potential gain
to science, and all mental health practitioners and Warrior Tribe workers will sign commitments to this.
The innovation program will immediately be stopped should there be any indication of risk for mental,
emotional, or physical harm to the subjects, in accordance with CITI standards on human subject studies.
Monitoring the subjects’ health and well-being through frequently administered follow up scales will be
integral in ensuring their symptoms are not worsening.
Diversity Considerations
As it concerns the target population, diversity considerations will need to be taken into account.
There will undoubtedly be individuals with differing experiences, however, here are some that stand out
as being variances that will be encountered. Male versus female experiences; as the two genders have
very different war and service experiences, and for females especially it can be harder to form comradery.
Therefore, females feel loneliness differently and will likely remain a minority, even in a program aimed
to serve them. Thus, we will have to take gender into consideration and monitor how it effects isolation
and its intensity and resolution. Additionally, there will be diversity considerations when it comes to
different generations, since the Golf Wars have gone on for several decades, veterans from this era make
up a wide range of ages. Even having all experienced deployments during the Golf War conflict, veterans
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of different age groups may feel loneliness differently due to technology advancements. Technology has
brought about social platforms that create connectedness which varies in degree between age groups due
to younger generations increased involvement in social media and staying connected while older Golf
War generations may not be using social media to maintain friendships the same way. (Wisdom, 2018).
Program Limitations and Risks
Finally, there are limitations and risks to the program design that need to be considered and
planned for. As it must start as a business and then apply for Benefits corporation status, there are
financial risks that will be made. Going to the bank and taking out a business loan is a risk that falls
entirely on the business owner should it not work out. Optimally, these risks will be mitigated by the
strong business and financial plan prepared as well as by the legal status of the Corporation. Moving
forward into the future, as Warrior Tribe gains Benefits corporation status and may work to receive grants
and outside funding, these financial risks will be minimized. For this reason, Warrior Tribe will ensure its
mission is being carried out to the best of its abilities so that it may gain and keep Benefits Corporation
status each and every year it is in operation.
Conclusions, Actions, and Implications
Summary of Project Plans
See Included Project Plan in Appendix A
Starting out, the management of Warrior Tribe will have a well-defined understanding of the initial
startup costs, operation costs and projected income and revenue, and size and number of equipment and
supplies required to achieve the abovementioned green houses. Additionally, Warrior Tribe has a plan for
training and support to demonstrate that it is able to adequately prepare its workforce and serve its
targeted population and therefore be a good Benefits Corporation that prepares veteran and provides them
with a healing, social environment, while at the same time producing quality, marketable products such as
fish and produce.
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The major steps will involve strategic planning, pricing, fiscal management, quality control checks,
assessment of performance, constant metric gathering for statistical comparison for quarterly reviews,
labor required estimates to prepare to hire and serve the veterans, and business potential as well as
customer contracts. Furthermore, operational aspects of this business will need to be calculated,
accounted for, and budgeted as it concerns planting, growing, harvesting, packaging, shipping, delivering,
storing, and billing.
As it concerns the social welfare aspect of the venture and the intervention theory of Warrior Tribe,
the major phases will be identifying which clients to hire; as those in need of social connections and
suffering from loneliness are who Warrior Tribe aims to serve within the business operations itself.
Outreach efforts and targeting of this specific population is where the program will ultimately begin, as
this will identify the workforce that Warrior Tribe will hire. Then, the mission of Warrior Tribe will be to
provide a healing, socially connected, relationship building environment for these veteran workers while
at the same time developing the program, growing the products, and selling the produce to neighboring
military bases and government contracts for food.
Current Practice Context for Project Conclusions
Every day in the US 22 veterans commit suicide. Although there are many factors contributing to
why an individual takes their own life, isolation and loneliness is perhaps one of the biggest causes.
Moreover, if isolation and loneliness does not lead to suicide in an individual, it can also lead to worsened
overall health and take as many as ten years off an individual’s life. By addressing grand challenge
number five, eradicating isolation, as it concerns the military population, we will impact millions who
currently suffer from loneliness and feel the devastating second and third order effects it has on mental
health, physical health, and overall life satisfaction. The Warrior Tribe Care Farm will utilize a
noninvasive, covert method to bring veterans together, out of isolation, through the creation of a
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horticulture therapy program designed to impress vocational, rehabilitative, and therapeutic intervention
on SMs and veterans suffering from isolation in the form of a unique and innovative program. Warrior
Tribe will not only impart new job skills on SMs and veterans, but it will also feed the community by
providing health and affordable produce, a while unobtrusively healing veterans through the practice of
gardening. There is a need for jobs and healthy, affordable produce everywhere in the world, giving
Warrior Tribe exponential potential to grow in size and expand to locations all over the country, reaching
more and more veterans along the way. The landscape today is perfect for Warrior Tribe and there is
unlimited potential to create change on a strategic level; effectively providing a solution to Grand
Challenge number Five, eradicating isolation and loneliness.
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Appendix A: Project Plan
Introduction and Purpose
is planning to build and operate an aquaponic farm in Aberdeen, NC. Warrior Tribe (B Corp.) will grow
and profitably sell high-quality, locally-grown fresh fish and produce that is free of herbicides, pesticides
and chemicals to regional markets in Aberdeen, NC. and surrounding communities of the military
installation, Fort Bragg, NC. The facility will use Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® in a controlled
environment greenhouse to profitably meet the demand for premium quality, locally grown, fresh food.
Warrior Tribe (B Corp). will hire Nelson and Pade, Inc.® to assist in the project planning and to prepare a
project plan report. A preliminary report, covering estimated project costs, production and design, was
drafted on December, 2018 in order to pitch to funders.
In preparing this report, Nelson and Pade, Inc.® makes all recommendations based on their experience
in the industry and discussions and correspondence with Warrior Tribe concerning data specific to
where the system will be built. All cost, potential income and expense estimates are based on current
industry costs, observations of current pricing and market conditions, data specific to the area, data
from other growers and information from equipment manufacturers.
The plant and fish culture systems, the encompassing greenhouse and all related structures are designed
with efficiency, expandability and practicality in mind.
Nelson and Pade, Inc.® provides new growers the planning services, training, Clear Flow Aquaponic
Systems® and the long-term support they need to get started and be successful in aquaponic food
production. Nelson and Pade, Inc.® ’s Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® with a science-based design are
highly efficient and productive and used around the world. The Aquaponics Master Class® has had
attendees from over 100 countries and 50 US North Carolinas. Nelson and Pade, Inc.®’ s decades of
experience in aquaponics are reflected in proven system designs, successful operations, comprehensive
training and knowledgeable staff.
Warrior Tribe will serve as a B Corporation, to cater to veterans in order to help them become immersed
in the healing properties of gardening while at the same time working alongside likeminded veterans.
The community Warrior Tribe creates will build strong social relationships and work to prevent
loneliness and isolation in veterans post separation from active duty service. With the use of sustainable
agriculture and benefits of aquaponics in Horticulture therapy, Warrior Tribe hopes to help returning
veterans achieve a peaceful transition back to civilian life.
Project Snapshot
Technology
Aquaponics and Controlled Environment Agriculture
Key Words
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aquaponics, sustainable farming, pesticide-free, herbicide-free, fresh produce, lettuce, herbs, tilapia,
locally-grown, naturally grown, locavore, food security, food safety
Crops
Vegetables: Initially, fancy lettuce, herbs, greens Possible expansion to other vegetables
Fish: Tilapia
Aquaponic Systems, Greenhouse Size, Estimated Annual Production
Patented Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® with ZDEP®
• Commercial 100
• 6-50 Fish nursery Aquaponic System
• 2-100 Purge System
• 8520 sq. ft (71’ x 210’)
• 92.160 heads of fancy lettuce, assuming 20 harvests/year from each lettuce grow-out position • 8,064
heads of lettuce or a variety of other vegetables from the Living Filter Beds
• 4,964 lbs. tilapia
Project Overview
Warrior Tribe will establish and operate an aquaponic food production facility for the purpose of using
aquaculture therapy for veterans and creating a community to end social isolation and loneliness, by
growing and selling premium quality vegetables and fish. The vegetables will consist of microgreens,
fancy lettuce, herbs, greens and potentially other vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers. The fish
will be tilapia, the fourth most consumed seafood in the United North Carolinas. There is an exploding
consumer demand for organic, fresh, nutritious, locally-grown food and Warrior Tribe is perfectly poised
to fill this demand while using the latest technology and implementing sustainable agricultural practices
while at the same time serving as a therapeutic community for its veteran employees.
Warrior Tribe will use its contacts within Fort Bragg to supply fresh vegetables and fish to troops
stationed there. Eventually, Warrior Tribe will work to connect with the supply branch of the United
States Army to become a vendor that will make it possible to distribute produce and fish to military
bases across the U.S.
Warrior Tribe will use a proven aquaponic system in a controlled environment greenhouse to grow
fresh, nutritious food. In the aquaponic system that Warrior Tribe will implement, the fish are raised in
tanks and the waste water flows through a highly developed biological filtration process, resulting in
clear-flowing, nutrient rich water for the plants.
Aquaponics is a natural form of hydroponics (soilless plant culture) that integrates fish farming, with an
output of both fish and vegetables. Hydroponics is a well-established industry, with hundreds of
thousands of acres of hydroponic facilities producing lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
Hydroponics is a very efficient method of growing vegetables that conserves water, land and labor.
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Integrating fish culture with hydroponics creates a sustainable, integrated system that is organic in
nature.
This project will benefit Warrior Tribe as well as the Fort Bragg, North Carolina and military community,
through job creation, a social community, and aquaculture therapy and create the availability of fresh
fish and vegetables, grown and sold all year ‘round.
Warrior Tribe will take advantage of the 30+ years of scientific research and aquaponic system
development, the established techniques used in controlled environment agriculture and an innovative
marketing program to move their brand ahead and beyond crops grown in traditional farming,
hydroponics and organics.
Leonardo da Vinci once said that “Water is the driving force of all nature.” Unfortunately for our planet,
supplies are now running dry. The world’s population continues to rise and with that increase so does
the demand for food. In some agricultural North Carolinas, it is estimated that 33 billion gallons of
water is needed each year to raise food crops. Unfortunately, the rise in population has not been
matched by an accompanying increase in supplies of fresh water.
The consequences are proving to be profound. Across the globe, reports reveal huge areas in crisis
today as reservoirs and other water sources dry up. At present, almost one in seven on the planet now
lack access to water for drinking or growing food. Using the patented Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems®,
Warrior Tribe will grow crops using one sixth the water used in conventional soil-based farming
methods. This greatly reduces the ecological footprint of growing crops and maximizes efficiency and
profitability of Warrior Tribe’s aquaponics enterprise.
With the prediction of skyrocketing diesel costs, it could become impractical and unaffordable to move
fresh produce across the country and continent in the coming years. Currently, the average salad crops
travel nearly 2000 miles before making it to a dinner plate. Warrior Tribe will capitalize on this situation
by serving local markets, delivering a better quality, fresher product that is not affected by the high cost
of long distance transportation. The locavore (those who choose to eat food raised locally) movement is
driving the campaign and demand for locally grown food, but the economics, benefits and good sense of
growing locally is being recognized around the world.
This project will benefit the community through veteran job creation and the availability of fresh
produce, grown and sold all year long in the Fort Bragg, North Carolina area and surrounding
communities.
In addition, Warrior Tribe plans to implement an agritourism and education program that will attract
locals and visitors alike, generating additional revenue streams while drawing in interest and attraction
for more veterans to take part in the venture.
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Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® in a controlled environment greenhouse.
Technology
All of the technologies proposed for this facility are sustainable, environmentally friendly, use
substantially less water than traditional farming and eliminate the use of herbicides and pesticides and
mined and manufactured fertilizers; therefore, producing healthful, flavorful, safe and sustainable food
products.
The technologies described below will be used for the commercial production of fish and vegetables.
Aquaponics
Aquaponics is the combination of recirculating aquaculture and hydroponics. In aquaponics, the fish
waste provides nutrients for the growing plants and the plants provide a natural filter for the water the
fish live in. This creates an ecosystem where both plants and fish can thrive. Aquaponics is the ideal
answer to a fish farmer’s problem of disposing of nutrient rich water and a hydroponic grower's need for
nutrient rich water. Essentially, aquaponics mimics every natural waterway on earth. It is used to grow
food crops in a concentrated, yet sustainable manner.
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Aquaculture
Recirculating aquaculture is a very efficient means of raising fish that eliminates the pressure on natural
fish populations and helps to fulfill the growing demand for healthful, safe and chemical-free food fish.
The proposed integrated system will consistently produce high quality fish in an environmentally-
friendly manor.
Food Safety and Tracking
Warrior Tribe will incorporate protocols, equipment components and Global GAP (good agricultural
practices) to ensure and demonstrate safe food production. Management will have the ability to
identify and track all fish and produce harvests and shipments.
Controlled Environment Greenhouse
A greenhouse will provide the ideal air temperature, humidity and ventilation to the plants and the ideal
water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels for the fish. The controlled environment greenhouse
allows the operator to implement an efficient and effective bio-security program for growing and post-
harvest processes.
Facility Description
The NP greenhouses and Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® are designed with food safety in mind. The
facility as a whole utilizes bio-security and good agriculture practices (GAP) to ensure food safety and
best practices. The greenhouse has space for:
• Biosecurity Entryways
• Primary Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems®
• Fish Nursery
• Fish Purge Systems
• Produce Packaging Area
• Work space
The building will be aesthetically pleasing and will represent a professional and organized work space
and therapeutic, healing environment for the veteran workers. Adequate parking will be available for
facility staff, guests and customers to the farm stand area. The entrance to the greenhouse has a
double-door, bio-secure entry way. The retail area, fish and filter tanks, purge system and fish nursery
are all located on the north end, which will be covered with an insulated material. The plant culture
areas (Raft Tank, NFT and Media Beds) take up the majority of the floor space. Highly developed
greenhouse plastic will cover the plant growing areas, to provide both light penetration and insulation.
Areas of Focus and Revenue
Fish and vegetables will be raised and sold in a for-profit farming venture that provides fresh, nutritious
food to markets in the surrounding communities of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Warrior Tribe will use
the facility to help transitioning veteran through Horticulture therapy as its primary purpose. The
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service will not only help facilitate in giving valuable training and job skills to veterans it employs but will
also create a social community and teach valuable social relationship skills that are long-lasting and end
veteran loneliness and isolation through its practices.
An additional revenue stream is agri-tourism and education. Tours of the facility for the general public,
garden clubs, tourists, community organizations and school groups can generate income through the
tour fee, direct retail sales of produce and fish, sales of T-shirts, hats and other memorabilia, books and
information. Nelson and Pade, Inc.® is the leader of the aquaponics industry and is known around the
world for their comprehensive, science-based training programs. Warrior Tribe has expressed interest in
offering education programs. As Warrior Tribe gains experience as a grower, it may be eligible to
collaborate with Nelson and Pade, Inc.®, offering sanctioned training programs to expand its program
across the area and near other military bases to help even more veterans.
Industry History and Overview
Aquaponics is a hybrid system that combines organic farming, hydroponics and recirculating aquaculture
to raise food crops in a natural and sustainable way. To better understand aquaponics and to appreciate
the simplicity and productivity of this technology, it is important to understand the differences,
advantages and disadvantages between organic farming, inorganic hydroponics, recirculating
aquaculture and aquaponics (organic hydroponics).
Advantages Disadvantages
Organic Farming
• Organic farming has become
popular in the marketplace
because it is presumed to be a
healthier way of growing food.
• Utilizes wastes for fertilizer.
• Uses natural pest control.
• Biological system produces
better
tasting and, sometimes, more
nutritional crops.
• Uses more land than traditional
farming.
• In most cases, it costs more to
grow and certify organic crops
than other methods of farming.
• USDA certification is losing value
as agri-business replaces small-
farm organic production.
Inorganic Hydroponics
• Produces a high volume of
crops in a small space.
• Combining it with controlled
environment agriculture
results in consistent, year-
round production.
• Dependent on manufactured and mined
fertilizers that are costly, rising in price
and becoming harder to get due to
increased demand worldwide.
Recirculating Aquaculture
• Produces large volumes of fish in a
small space.
• Recirculating systems have a high
rate of failure due to high
stocking rates and low margin for
error.
• Produces large waste stream.
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Aquaponics (Organic
Hydroponics)
Note:
Aquaponics is a natural form of
hydroponics that uses fish
waste for fertilizer rather than
manufactured or mined
fertilizers.
• Aquaponics has all of the
advantages of all three
methods listed above! Plus:
• Fish waste provides fertilizer
for plants.
• Fish do not carry the
pathogens, such as e-coli and
salmonella, which warm-
blooded animals do.
• High water volume in rafts
tanks provides buffer for fish
production.
• Aquaponics demonstrates a
natural
cycle between fish and plants
and is the most sustainable of
the four methods presented
here.
• With consistent bio-mass in
the fish tanks, plants thrive.
• Management takes someone
trained in raising both fish and
plants.
• A major loss in the fish tanks can
disrupt plant production.
Controlled Environment Agriculture
Controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) is any agricultural technology that enables the grower to
manipulate a crop's environment to the desired conditions. CEA technologies include greenhouse,
hydroponics, aquaculture and aquaponics. Controlled variables include temperature, humidity, pH,
nutrient analysis and crop protection from cold, heat, rain, snow, wind and other climactic elements that
affect plant growth.
In commercial agriculture, CEA can increase efficiency, reduce pests and diseases and save resources.
Controlled Environment Agriculture is the answer to many of the difficulties associated with the
production of outdoor specialty crops. Controlled environment agriculture combined with aquaponics
offers several major advantages for the production of high value specialty crops such as herbs, fancy
lettuce and tomatoes: producing out of season is one of the primary ones. High density production,
higher yields, more efficient use of energy, lower water consumption, more ecologically acceptable
disease and insect control and greater control over the plant’s nutritional requirements are a few of the
other significant advantages.
Aquaponics
In aquaponics, the fish waste provides nutrients for the growing plants and the plants provide a natural
filter for the water the fish live in. Aquaponics is the ideal answer to a fish farmer’s problem of disposing
of nutrient rich water and a hydroponic grower's need for nutrient rich water. The key to a successful
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aquaponic system is a healthy colony of beneficial microbes. Natural microbes convert ammonia and
nitrite into nitrate, which is used by plants as they grow.
Establishing an aquaponic facility is similar in cost and operation to hydroponics, but aquaponics has
many advantages over traditional hydroponics. Unlike hydroponics, aquaponics is sustainable; it is free
of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers and it produces two crops (fish and plants) that are sold at a
profit. In the aquaponic system that Warrior Tribe will use, the fish are raised in tanks and the waste
water goes through a highly developed biological filtration process, resulting in clear-flowing, nutrient
rich water for the plants. Food safety and bio- security are critical components in the system and
greenhouse design.
Advantages of Aquaponics:
The combination of aquaculture and hydroponics has been in practice for over 40 years, yet it is in the
past 5-10 years that aquaponics has been developed to the point of commercial viability. The potential
for using aquaponics to grow high quality food around the world is tremendous. Some of the many
advantages of aquaponic food production include:
• Aquaponics utilizes the nutrient rich water from aquaculture that otherwise would have been a
waste product or would need to be filtered in a costly manner.
• Aquaponics eliminates the cost and time involved with mixing traditional hydroponic nutrients.
• Aquaponics provides a truly organic, natural form of nutrients for the plants.
• By eliminating the soil in vegetable production, you eliminate all soil borne disease.
• Aquaponics uses a fraction of the water that traditional field production does because no water
is wasted or consumed by weeds.
• In aquaponics, plant spacing can be very intensive, allowing you to grow more plants in a given
space.
• With high stocking densities in the fish tank, plants will quickly grow and develop in an aquaponic
system.
• In aquaponics, there cannot be any pesticides or herbicides used, making the end product
healthier and safer.
• If your climate permits or if you are growing in a greenhouse, you can grow crops in an
aquaponic system year-round.
• CO 2, which results from the fish culture system, enhances plant growth.
History of Aquaponics
Traditionally, aquaculture was done in large ponds but in the past 40 years much research and progress
has been made in the development of recirculating aquaculture systems. The great benefit of
recirculating systems is that you can grow up to 3/4 pound of fish per gallon of water. This means that
large quantities of fish can be grown in a fraction of the space and water traditionally dedicated to
aquaculture. The disadvantage of highly concentrated populations of fish is the large volume of waste-
water that accumulates daily.
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Early on in the research of recirculating aquaculture systems, experiments were done to determine the
efficiency of aquatic plants in consuming the nutrients in the waste-water, therefore helping to purify
the water for the fish in the system. As research continued, terrestrial plants were tested and proven to
be an effective means of water purification for aquaculture and this nutrient rich water a nearly ideal
hydroponic solution for growing plants. Lettuce, chives and other leafy crops were first considered for
aquaponics but, more recently, commercial growers and researchers have had success with tomatoes,
cucumbers, peppers, melons, flowers and many other crops.
The scientists at the Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI- AES)
researched and developed aquaponic techniques and systems for over 25 years, resulting in a broad
base of knowledge, component volumes and ratios. Recent developments in aquaponic research at the
Crop Diversification Center in Alberta, Canada have shown aquaponics to have higher production rates
than inorganic hydroponics.
Nelson and Pade, Inc.® has been successfully designing, refining and operating aquaponic systems for
over 20 years. The company is known around the world for taking the science of aquaponics and turning
it in to an industry.
Commercial Viability of Aquaponics
Aquaponics is a versatile technology that can be used to grow fish and plants on a commercial scale, as
an agri- tourism destination, as the subject of research, as a tool for hands-on education, as a source for
home food production and as a fun and interesting hobby.
Commercially aquaponics is a small but growing industry. The consumer demand for fresh, safe, locally-
grown food along with the need for more efficient and environmentally friendly agriculture is the driving
force behind the aquaponics movement.
Success in a commercial aquaponics venture requires a well-designed system along with training and
technical support. The system, training and technical support for Warrior Tribe’s aquaponics project will
be provided by Nelson and Pade, Inc.® In addition, excellent management and marketing skills are
essential to be successful in commercial aquaponics.
Nutrient Availability for Plants in Aquaponics*
For maximum growth, plants in aquaponic systems require 16 essential nutrients. These are listed
below in the order of their concentrations in plant tissue, with carbon and oxygen being the highest.
The essential elements are arbitrarily divided into macronutrients, those required in relatively large
quantities, and micronutrients, those required in considerably smaller amounts. Three of the
macronutrients-carbon (C), oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H)-are supplied by water (H 2O) and carbon dioxide
gas (CO 2). The remaining nutrients are absorbed from the culture water. Other macronutrients include
Nitrogen (N), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), phosphorous (P) and sulfur (S). The seven
micronutrients include chlorine (Cl), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), boron (B), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and
molybdenum (Mo). These nutrients must be balanced for optimum plant growth.
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Families, entrepreneurs and corporate entities are embracing aquaponic food production as a profitable farming
venture.
There is a growing body of evidence that healthy plant development relies on a wide range of organic
compounds in the root environment. These compounds, generated by complex biological processes
involving microbial decomposition of organic matter, include vitamins, auxins, gibberellins, antibiotics,
enzymes, coenzymes, amino acids, organic acids, hormones and other metabolites. Directly absorbed
and assimilated by the plants, these compounds stimulate growth, enhance yields, increase vitamin and
mineral content, improve flavor and hinder the development of pathogens. Various fractions of
dissolved organic matter form organo-metallic complexes with Fe, Mn and Zn, thereby increasing
availability of these micronutrients to plants. Although inorganic nutrients (manufactured, water-
soluble fertilizers used in hydroponics) give plants an avenue to survival, plants not only use organic
metabolites from the environment, but also need these metabolites to reach their full growth potential.
*Source: SRAC Publication No. 454
The Growing Need for Aquaponics and Controlled Environment Agriculture
In the past several years, the fresh food industry has been marred by continued incidence of food
contamination and consumer illness. Causes range from impure water to unsanitary conditions in fields
and packing facilities, to imports that are not inspected. Much of this food, including what is labeled as
organic, is coming from countries without strict safety, nutritional or environmental regulations. Food
that is handled in massive processing and packaging facilities has proven to be susceptible to
contamination as well.
In a controlled environment greenhouse, a grower has the ability to enforce a bio-security program that
will keep the food free of contamination. In addition, the ability to be close to the marketplace
eliminates the long-distance travel (on average over 2,000 miles) that most fresh food travels.
Aquaponic System Design and Details
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Aquaponics suits the goals of Warrior Tribe in sustainable, profitable agriculture, proven-system design
and high efficiency production. Nelson and Pade, Inc.® offers patented Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems®
with ZDEP® (near Zero Discharge, Extra Production), which consist of the fish tanks, filtration tanks, raft
tanks, accelerated plant nursery and living filter beds. The nutrient-rich, clear flowing water circulates
through the system 24 hours/day.
Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® at Nelson and Pade, Inc.®
Components of the patented Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® with ZDEP® are food-grade and potable
water-grade, which means they will not degrade in the sunlight or leach chemicals into the system
water.
Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® with ZDEP®
Over the past 20 years, Nelson and Pade, Inc.® has been designing, manufacturing and selling aquaponic
systems which are used for a variety of applications including commercial ventures, home food
production, education models and social and mission projects. Our goal and focus has always been on
making the systems as efficient and sustainable as possible. In a development that brings aquaponics to
a whole new level of food production, Nelson and Pade, Inc.® has developed the patented ZDEP® (near
Zero Discharge - Extra Production) system. The ZDEP® reuses nutrient rich water in the system to grow
more plants, while at the same time reducing water usage and eliminating a waste-water stream from
the system.
Previously, commercial aquaponic systems had a daily waste-water output. The ZDEP® extracts
clean water and captures more nutrients from this former waste stream. The clean water
leaving the ZDEP® is used to refresh system water, reducing overall water usage while growing
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more plants in the system. The ZDEP® generates an additional all-natural fertilizer stream to
grow a variety of plants in our living filter media beds.
When examining food production and resources used in Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® with ZDEP® to
traditional field production, the differences are staggering. When comparing lettuce production using
one acre of Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® with ZDEP® to one acre of lettuce
Farming in the Gila Valley, Arizona, we can grow 6 times more lettuce per acre using 1/6 of the water on
an annual basis. This is all done without the use of pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. Plus, we
grow 40,000 lbs. of fish from that same Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® with ZDEP®.
Years of research have gone into the development and design of patented Clear Flow Aquaponic
Systems® with ZDEP®. The individual components have been chosen and are sized to work together.
The equipment will create the habitat for plants, fish and beneficial microbes to thrive together in a
living, dynamic environment, all while demonstrating food safety, cleanliness and good agricultural
practices.
An aquaponic system is a complex adaptive system that is made up of multiple components. Altering
the input of any one component will affect the outcome or behavior of the system as a whole. It is
important to keep this concept in mind when considering changes or alterations to any factor, variable,
or component of the system.
Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® are intended to be operated in a clean, well-organized, controlled
environment, following the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) and Good Agriculture Practices (GAP)
as provided by Nelson and Pade, Inc.® This reduces the risk of operational errors and demonstrates that
bio-security and food safety protocol are top priorities.
Smell, Sounds, Water Usage and Waste
The systems, by design, have no smell or significant operational noise. Plants use water through the
process of transpiration. Therefore 2-5% of system volume is replaced every day. This equates to about
4 gallons of water per harvested lettuce plant. This is significantly less water than field production,
which takes 24-26 gallons per lettuce plant. In a Commercial 100 System, 420-1040 gallons of water will
be used per day.
Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® with ZDEP® do not impact incoming city or well water and do not flow
back into the water supply. It is a water-efficient technology that is sustainable and environmentally
friendly. There are no pesticides, herbicides or harsh chemicals used in Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems®.
Waste is minimal. A minimal amount of water will need to drain from the system during startup and
occasionally afterward. This water is pH balanced and teaming with beneficial bacteria, which will
enhance an existing septic or waste water system.
System Specifics
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Commercial 100 System includes:
• 6 - 500 gallon fish tanks
• Fish tank to clarifier plumbing package
• Cone bottom clarifiers
• Clarifier to mineralization tank plumbing package
• Mineralization tanks and plumbing
• Bio-Reactor, media and plumbing
• Degassing tank and plumbing
• 4-8’x64’Rafttanks
• 4 - 4’x 32’ Living Filter beds
• Accelerated Plant Nurseries
• Germination Area
• Water pumps and plumbing parts
• Regenerative air blower and aeration system plumbing package
• Patented ZDEP® Filter System
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System Component Descriptions
All of the components of the proposed aquaponic system are described below:
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• Fish Tanks
The fish are raised in round tanks. Each fish tank has a bottom drain to ensure proper water flow
and waste removal. The water leaves the bottom drain and flows into the clarifier. Windows can
be installed in the tank for observation.
• Clarifiers for solids removal
Clarifiers (large conical bottom tanks) are used to remove the settleable fish waste. Water and
sludge flow from the drain of the clarifiers into the media-filled planters. This sludge breaks
down in the media-filled planters, providing nutrients for the fruiting crops. The clarifiers are
flushed on a regular basis.
• BioReactor
A biological filter provides habitat for beneficial microbes to do the natural conversion from
ammonia to nitrite and from nitrite to nitrate, which the plants use. The filter tank is filled with
bio-filtration media and heavily aerated.
• Degassing Tank
The degassing tank is aerated to allow CO 2 and other gasses in the water to dissipate into the air.
• Mineralization Tanks
In the mineralization tanks, the minerals are slowly released from the fine suspended solids that
collect on the netting in the tank. These minerals make up the balance of elements that a plant
needs for growth. Denitrification is achieved through an anaerobic biological process. Removing
excess nitrogen prevents having too much nitrogen and allows for a more balanced nutrient mix
available to feed the plants.
• Sump Tank and Water Pump
The sump is the point in the system where the water returns via gravity after flowing through the
raft and NFT modules. A water pump is located in the sump tank and is used to constantly
recirculate the water through the system.
• Raft Tanks
The raft tanks hold the water that the plant rafts float on. A frame made of metal is lined with an
aquaculture-grade liner to form the raft tanks. Each tank is insulated with rigid insulation to
reduce heat loss/gain.
• Plant Germination and Accelerated Plant Nursery
The plant germination and seedling nursery is a separate NFT system. The plant spacing in the
NFT nursery is every 4”. The plants are started in the germination trays and then, at about 10
days old, they are moved into the NFT nursery, where they are kept for another 10-14 days.
Then, they are transplanted into the rafts. This two-step process dramatically increases the
production from the system by best utilizing the greenhouse space.
• ZDEP® Filter
In a typical raft or NFT system, the sludge made up of fish waste and uneaten food is filtered
from the water and disposed of or used on field crops. In the patented ZDEP® system, this sludge
is separated, with the clear water going back into the main system and the nutrient- rich sludge
going into the sump tank for the Media beds, where it slowly breaks down and provides nutrients
to the plants in these containers.
• Living Filter Beds
The Living Filter media beds are fed from the water and nutrient-rich material leaving the
patented ZDEP® filter. This solution flows into a sump tank and is circulated through the media
beds.
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• Aeration for Fish Tanks, Bio-Reactor and Raft Tanks
Air blowers are required to supply aeration for the fish tanks, the BioReactors, degassing tank
and the raft tanks.
• Plumbing, PVC pipe, parts, valves
A variety of PVC pipe, parts and valves are required for the plumbing.
• Fish Purge System
The fish purge system is an important component and directly affects the quality of the fish.
Once fish are ready to harvest, they are moved to the purge tank where they are kept an
additional 3-4 days. During this time, they are not fed, the water temperature is slowly lowered
and salt is added to the water. This “purging” process results in a very clean- tasting, firm fish
fillet.
• • Fish Nursery System
The nursery system is where the new fingerlings are grown from fry to 50 grams. Once the
fingerlings reach 50 grams, they are moved into the main grow-out system. This increases
operational efficiency. The fish nursery is a complete aquaponic system, so plants can be grown
in the attached raft tanks.
Greenhouse Structure and Equipment
The purpose of the greenhouse is to provide proper environmental conditions for the fish and plants,
year-round.
A greenhouse manufacturer will design the greenhouse for the climate in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Specific details of the greenhouse will come from the manufacturer.
Please ensure with the greenhouse manufacturer that the greenhouse and related environmental
control equipment has been designed to maintain adequate air temperatures for plant growth. You will
need to provide 100 % shading material over the fish and filter tanks. An ideal water temperature for
the system is 74.
For best results, the greenhouse design should include: bio-secure entryways and insect screening on
openings, heaters, exhaust fans, vertical and horizontal air flow fans.
Engineered drawings with a North Carolina engineer’s stamp are available from the greenhouse
manufacturer if needed for an additional fee. Do note that structural components, design and costs can
change once the engineering is done.
If you are not familiar with building and construction techniques, working with contractors, building and
zoning departments, we recommend that you hire a general contractor to oversee the project as a
whole.
Other greenhouse considerations:
• Floor Covering
The greenhouse can be built on compacted earth, and then concrete walkways can be poured.
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There are many benefits of concrete flooring and/or walkways in a greenhouse. The concrete
makes an insect-proof barrier between the greenhouse and the soil below. The concrete is easy
to clean and has a smooth finish that is safe and easy for workers to walk on and roll carts on.
The biggest benefit is cleanliness. Keeping an aquaponic greenhouse clean and free of mold,
fungus and dirt is the most important factor in maintaining a healthy crop. Concreting all
exposed floor will result in a cleaner greenhouse.
• Electrical Service
The electrical components in the Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® are run on 110/220. To
accommodate the variable speed water pumps, standard water pumps, motors, blowers, lights
and other system electrical components, single-phase electricity should be installed when
installing an electrical service. We do not recommend 3-phase electric service because 3-phase
does not typically meet the needs of the electrical components included in the aquaponic
system. If you already have 3-phase at your chosen site, the grow lights and possibly the
regenerative blower can be ordered to operate in 3-phase. The other components cannot.
Converting 3-phase to single-phase is a costly adaptation. Additionally, the required backup
generator for 3-phase will cost substantially more than single-phase back-up generator.
• Back-Up Generator
Having a continuous power source is essential to running an aquaponic greenhouse. Redundancy
in the energy system will need to be planned and implemented. Interruptions in the power or
environmental control systems will result in disruptions in crop development or even fish and/or
plant crop death. Critical loads would be considered a device that keeps the fish alive in the main
aquaponic system, fish nursery and fish purge system during a power outage. It could include all
or some of your unit heaters if you live in a cold climate. There are also system water heaters
that could be critical in an extended outage but in a short-term outage the water in your system
may not need to be heated and will hold its temperature for several hours simply because of its
mass. It may also include your cold storage unit that you keep your lettuce stored in but this too
will hold its temperature for several hours. Some room lighting should be backed up so you can
monitor your greenhouse during an outage at night.
A certified electrician should determine the size of the generator that you will require, based on
the electrical components in your system and which of those you want to back up. The
generator should be auto-start.
• Plant Grow Lights
We recommend plant grow lights because of the increase in production they provide. The cost
of electricity in is reasonable at .09/kwh, making the grow lights an economically-viable addition.
For supplemental lighting in a greenhouse, 1000-watt Metal Halide lights with a full spectrum
bulb are recommended, along with timers and relays. The light fixtures include a glass shield,
which protects the crop in the event of bulb breakage.
• Cold Storage
If produce is not sold immediately after harvest, provisions must be made to keep it cool and
fresh. We recommend a walk-in type of cooler for the bulk of storage and a smaller retail cooler
for “farm market” sales. There are many types and sizes of each. The size of walk-in needed by
Warrior Tribe for will be approximately 10’ x 10’. This will allow storage for a two days-worth of
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harvest. When shopping for coolers it is important to note that a unit that is “almost” big
enough will not be suitable. It is always optimal to purchase a little larger unit if given the choice.
To look at a variety of walk-in cooler configuration and sizes, check out
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/.
• Dry Storage
It is important to plan space for dry storage for fish food, grown cubes, packaging supplies and
related materials. A 6-month supply of these items for a Commercial 100 System, will require
384 cu. ft. of storage.
Site Details and History
Warrior Tribe as yet to identify a property available in the Fort Bragg, North Carolina area.
Prior to greenhouse construction, a final grading of the earth will be required and the site will
need to be elevated with fill if the area is flood prone.
Water quality
A greenhouse water analysis has not been reviewed by Nelson and Pade, Inc. at this time but will be
once a site has been identified and Warrior Tribe works with the city / county to have the water tested.
Site Considerations
Site specific factors to be explored include permitting, zoning and regulatory requirements, water source
and quality, status and size of electrical service, access and cost of utilities. Requirements for the
greenhouse include a flat, level piece of ground, easy access for deliveries and shipments, electrical
service, fresh water, sewer or septic and natural gas or propane.
The greenhouse will need:
• electrical power
• fresh water
• city sewer (if required)
• easy access for deliveries and shipments
• full sun exposure without shading form other buildings, structures or trees
• phone and internet access for greenhouse monitoring and alarm systems
In addition to the standard elements in the water test, it should be noted that copper is toxic to fish at
low levels. Therefore, copper pipe from the well or at any point in the water delivery system should be
replaced.
Crop Selection
Crops in the Rafts:
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We recommend specializing in several fast-growing plant crops in the Rafts. A combination of leafy
crops, including, several varieties of lettuce and some herbs such as basil, chives and mint, plus greens
such as swiss chard, kale and bok choi can all be grown in the proposed system. We recommend
harvesting the whole plants instead of taking leaf or leaf cluster cuttings because it is less labor intensive
and the whole plants are a more distinctive product. Another option is to harvest the whole plant and
then, using food safe processing techniques, create bagged lettuce mixes.
Selecting several types of lettuce, herbs and greens will keep production even, while still offering the
grocer or buyer a variety. For instance, red leaf, green leaf, butterhead, bibb and romaine are all
different types of lettuce plants, but all have basically the same nutritional and environmental needs.
Some lettuce varieties that will do well in the aquaponic system include:
Butterhead
Characteristics include loose leafed heads with soft textured leaves. Butter or Boston lettuce is delicate
and sweet. Bibb lettuce is a touch pungent, with dark leaves. Limestone is a strain of Bibb lettuce with a
smooth texture and nutty flavor. There is a pretty red bibb lettuce now available.
Lollo Rosso
Lollo Rosso is a tender leaf lettuce that is fan shaped with a green bottom, leading to a ruffled red edge.
It adds color and texture to the salad bowl.
Romaine
Romaine lettuce has an elongated head of dark green or red leaves with thick, crunchy ribs. It is most
commonly used in Caesar salad.
Red and Green
Red and green leaf lettuce are popular and provide great texture and color for a salad. It holds up well
in salads and is appreciated for its unique shape and crisp leaves.
Other Vegetables
A variety of other crops can be grown in the living filter beds. Typically, kale, tomatoes, cucumbers,
peppers, cauliflower, cabbage, microgreens, and herbs are good choices.
Fish and Plant Production
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Fish-to-plant ratios for aquaponic systems have been scientifically determined for several crop
combinations including tilapia and lettuce, tilapia and tomatoes and tilapia and basil. There are three
main components in the fish-to-plant ratio to consider:
• the total weight of the fish (biomass)
• the number and species of plant
• the amount of fish food added to the system
It has been determined at the University of the Virgin Islands that a range of 60-100 g of feed can
support 1 sq. meter of plant production in a raft system. The Nelson and Pade, Inc.® patented ZDEP®
system, combined with the methodology used in their seeding and transplanting procedures, increases
vegetable production by a factor of 5 from this original ratio. The existing ratio and feed equations that
have been developed for lettuce, tomatoes and basil can be used as a guideline to help determine the
optimum fish stocking density and feeding rate for the chosen crops. There will likely be some
adjustment to the guidelines since each plant species has slightly different needs. The fish stocking
density, feeding rate and the plant species chosen will affect the water quality, system dynamics and
nutrient availability for the plants. All components of the Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems
®
have been
designed to accommodate and take advantage of proper fish to plant ratios.
Fish Production in the Aquaponic System
To achieve the maximum grow-out, in the Commerical 100 system, each of the 6 fish tanks will be
sequentially stocked with 50-gram tilapia fingerlings. It takes approximately 24 weeks to raise the 50-
gram fingerling to a harvest weight of size 680 g (1.5 lbs.). The estimated annual production of tilapia is
4,964 lbs./year.
The fish are grown from 50 g to harvest size 680 g (1.5 lbs.) in the same tank. The stocking is staggered
so that there is a tank of fish ready to harvest every 4 weeks. This method provides a relatively constant
bio-mass and, therefore, a consistent nutrient balance for the plants.
When buying fish for stocking, they are typically shipped as fry, at about .5 – 1 gram each. The fry will
be raised in the fish nursery system until they are approximately 50 grams each, which is the stocking
size. This takes about 12 weeks.
Fish Feed
The fish are fed several times a day the amount that they can eat in 30 minutes. Based on the 1.7 feed
conversion ratio, it will take approximately 8,438 lbs. of fish food per year.
Plant Rotation and Harvesting
When growing leafy crops in Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems
®
, you can harvest continually utilizing a
staggered planting program. When growing in a controlled environment and following Nelson and Pade,
Inc.® ’s Standard Operating Procedures, each lettuce plant will take 38-40 days to grow from seed to
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harvest. The seeds are planted on the germination table. The first root typically emerges in 24 hours
and the seedling remains on the germination table for about 10 days.
The 10-day old seedlings are then transplanted into the plant nursery, where they remain for an
additional 10-14 days. Lastly, they are transplanted into the plant rafts to finish out their growth cycle,
which takes another 18 days.
Lettuce can be harvested each day. Once the harvesting is complete, that same number of seedlings are
transplanted and seeded.
The concept of staggered production in the raft system is to always transplant your seedlings at one end
of the raft tank and harvest the mature plants at the other end. The rafts are pushed ahead as rafts with
new seedlings are placed in the seedling end, just after mature heads have been removed from the
harvest end. This staggered production will provide continued lettuce harvests with the least amount of
labor.
When a group of plants are mature, the rafts are lifted out of the tank and set on the harvest table
where the mature plants are removed, roots rinsed and then the plants are packaged for distribution.
The empty raft is then cleaned, transported to the seedling end, filled with seedlings and set into the
tank, pushing the remaining rafts toward the harvest end.
The whole lettuce and herb plants should be packaged in food-grade clear plastic crispers, clam shells or
plastic bags. Breaking or cutting the lettuce will most often require additional permitting because it is
considered “processing.” The packaged lettuce is then moved into the cold storage area or directly into a
refrigerated truck for delivery.
For retail sales, creating unique packaging and marketing materials that differentiate this product from
the others in the marketplace will be critical to building a loyal customer base.
Packaging lettuce in a lettuce crisper
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Fish Harvesting and Transportation Considerations
The time required to raise a tilapia from a 50-gram fingerling to harvest size is approximately 24 weeks.
This number will vary depending on the target harvest size, feed input, water temperature and water
quality.
The deciding factor in the frequency of harvests will likely be determined by the method of marketing
and the demands of the buyers.
The common method of harvesting is to drain most of the water from the tank to be harvested and then
net the fish out. A 3 - 4 day purge in fresh water without food is required prior to harvesting for the fish
to have the best flavor. A separate purge tank system is included in the design.
Once harvested, the fish can be
(1.) sold whole (dead on ice) at the farm
(2.) transported live to a buyer
(3.) packed whole on ice and transported to a buyer (4.) filleted
Warrior Tribe will sell tilapia fillets and/or whole fish. When filleting a tilapia, you get about 1/3 of the
total weight as a fillet, and you have the time and expense of filleting. If it is possible to sell the whole
fish, it is an easier and better marketing choice. If Warrior Tribe chooses to offer fish fillets, they will
seek out an existing fish processor or establish its own processing facility.
To establish a fish processing facility, Warrior Tribe will need to attend a Seafood Processing Course,
create a HACCP plan and establish a certified kitchen. The typical cost of establishing a fish processing
room is $15,000-$20,000.
As a note, the fish raised for personal consumption can be harvested and filleted by Warrior Tribe
without going through a processor. It is the fish that they will sell that have to be filleted by a licensed
processor.
Processed fish can be flash frozen or sold fresh. The frozen fillets can be sold as needed, eliminating the
worry of having excess fresh fish.
Transporting the fish live is the riskiest, most expensive option, but it could be required if the buyer
wants live fish and the price warrants it. If fish will be transported live, an adequate hauling vehicle will
be required.
Community Benefits
This project provides numerous benefits to the Fort Bragg North Carolina and veteran community, as
well as all of North Carolina.
a. Availability of Locally-Grown, High Quality Food
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As a greater emphasis is placed on healthy eating and the need for a diet rich in vegetables and fish, it is
essential that these products be grown locally in a sustainable manner. This will be achieved in the
proposed aquaponic greenhouse. The marketing program will include information on healthy eating,
nutrition and sustainability.
b. Resource Preservation Through Environmentally Friendly Practices
The facility will produce locally grown, high-quality food using a minimum of resources. Farming fish
reduces the need for fishing and will ease the quickly-declining populations of native fish. Aquaponic
farming of vegetables eliminates problems associated with soil degradation and the use of herbicides
and pesticides. In addition, all of these methods of growing food utilize a minimum of water, therefore,
preserving this vital resource. Delivering to local markets (within a 1 -hour radius), eliminates the high
cost of long distance trucking.
c. Job Training and Employment Opportunities
Job training and employment opportunities to local residents will be provided by this facility. Employees
will be needed to seed, harvest and pack the produce, maintain the filter systems and feed the fish.
d. Education and Training
A community-based education and training program can be implemented to help students learn about
science through aquaponics. Specifically, the facility can offer an outreach education program for
students in all grades to help teach about science, agriculture and business.
e. Increased Community Revenue Through Agri-tourism
Agri-tourism is becoming a very popular sector of the tourism industry and an aquaponic facility will
attract visitors. Agri-tourism generates revenue through the tour fee and increased onsite sales as well
as the monies spent by tourists in a community. Promoting an agri-tourism program will bring tourists
to the area, benefiting the community as a whole.
Agri-Tourism and Education
In recent years “agri-tourism” has become very popular, and a controlled environment, aquaponic
greenhouse is an attraction worth visiting. Agri-tourism can increase revenue in an aquaponic business
in multiple ways: in charging for the tour and in direct sales of produce and other tour related items.
Incorporating agri-tourism into a greenhouse project should be done early on to accommodate the tour
traffic, retail sales and any local requirements for having the general public visit the farm.
It should be noted that 1 out of every 3 people visits an agri-tourism venue every year! Agri-tourism can
include visiting a dairy, pumpkin patch, vineyard or other agriculture-related venue. But, the proposed
aquaponic greenhouse offers much more than these traditional agri- tourism destinations. It combines
technology with a very natural process, demonstrates a myriad of scientific topics, is fascinating to see
and it represents a sustainable and innovative method of growing fresh, nutritious food.
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This proposed facility will showcase the latest in aquaponic and controlled environment agriculture.
Garden clubs, community organizations, tourists, school groups and the general public will all be
interested in touring the facility.
Agri-tourism, along with the planned education and training programs, can be an innovative sector of
the business.
Agri-tourism is a viable revenue stream as people around the world are interested in learning about aquaponic
food production.
Certifications
Certified Naturally Grown
A certification for aquaponic farms has been developed and is available through the Certified Naturally
Grown (CNG) program (naturallygrown.org). The aquaponics certification was developed specifically for
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aquaponic farmers and the requirements are more stringent in many ways than the USDA Organic
Program.
We strongly recommend the CNG program for all growers using Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems®. There
is a great marketing advantage for growers who demonstrate they are
Certified Naturally Grown. CNG is a non-profit organization that offers peer-review certification to
farmers and beekeepers producing food for their local communities by working in harmony with nature,
without relying on synthetic chemicals or GMOs.
USDA Organic
Aquaponics is a natural method of growing. From a science point of view, it is a truly organic. Pursuing
an organic certification is a different subject. There are a few aquaponic farms in the US that are
following the National Organic Standards and have had their plant crops certified organic. Having an
organic certification can increase marketability. It is, however, a complex and costly process for
certification and there is no guarantee that it will be available for soilless growers long-term. If an
organic certification is pursued, it should be with the understanding that the process will take time to
apply for the certification and is a further commitment of time and money to maintain the certification.
At this time, there are no organic standards or certification for farmed fish.
We believe that marketing the aquaponic produce for just what it is, “sustainable, all natural, pesticide-
and-herbicide-free and locally-grown” is more effective than labeling it
organic. Essentially, aquaponics is better than the USDA organic certification. Our inputs are cleaner
and safer.
The list of allowed materials for the USDA Organic Certification is very broad. It includes items that are
toxic to fish and it excludes some of the commonly used inputs in aquaponics, even though they are safe
for fish, plants and humans.
If seeking USDA Organic certification, you will need to replace the rockwool cubes, pH control
compounds and potentially other inputs that we normally recommend, with items that are on the USDA
Organic list of approved inputs. The production of fish and plants in the Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems®
could be reduced with these altered inputs.
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Not every certifier will be familiar with aquaponics, so if you are interested in pursuing the certification,
we recommend contacting a certifying agency that is familiar with aquaponics.
GAP (Good Agriculture Practices)
G.A.P. stands for Good Agricultural Practice – and GLOBAL G.A.P. (http://www.globalgap.org/) is the
worldwide standard that assures it.
Global GAP is a not-for-profit organization with a crucial objective: safe, sustainable agricultural
production worldwide. Global GAP sets voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products
around the globe - and more and more producers, suppliers and buyers are harmonizing their
certification standards to match.
The mission of Global GAP is to globally connect farmers and brand owners in the production and
marketing of safe food to achieve:
• A universal standard
• Safe and sustainable food for everyone everywhere today and in the future.
• Safe production methods
• Responsible use of resources
• Welfare of workers and animals
• Protection of scarce resources
• Easier certification and wider markets for producers
• Reliable sourcing and processing for retailers
• Valuable reassurance for consumers
Following a GAP program will demonstrate to the buyers of your fish and vegetables that you are
sustainably growing safe food.
Global GAP and the USDA offer GAP certification for aquaculture and vegetable farming, but not
specifically for aquaponics. Third-party certifiers, such as Quality Certification Services
(http://www.qcsinfo.org/), offer GAP certification for aquaponics.
BioSecurity
Having an effective and well utilized bio-security program is essential to the success of this project. A
unique aspect of controlled environment agriculture is that bio-security is possible. Unlike field farming,
a greenhouse grower can eliminate the potential for outside contamination through a series of
management steps taken to prevent the introduction of infectious agents. In the context of an
aquaponic greenhouse, this includes ensuring that unwanted animals, insects and people do not enter
the greenhouse and ensuring that pathogens, viruses and diseases do not enter the fish or plant culture
systems. There are numerous components that we have included in the startup costs that help to create
a bio- secure facility. These include:
• Double door entryways
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• Anti-insect screening covering openings using the latest technology in screening that prevents
insects
• No access for birds or rodents
• Antibacterial foot bath
• Hand washing station
In addition to the physical barriers and equipment mentioned above, there are management
practices we recommend for bio-security.
• Everyone entering the greenhouse must place both feet on an anti-bacterial mat.
• Everyone entering the greenhouse must thoroughly wash hands with hot water and anti-
bacterial soap.
• Tourists and greenhouse guests are limited in the areas they can walk.
• Fish of unknown origin are not allowed into the greenhouse.
• Birds, rodents, pets and other animals are not allowed in the greenhouse.
• No plants can be brought into the greenhouse (all plants are started from seed).
• All greenhouse workers and guests must have clean clothes and shoes.
• No one is allowed into the greenhouse who has just been on another farm or walking in a field or
tall grass.
• Workers must use hair nets and anti-bacterial gloves.
These efforts result in clean, safe food. Buyers of produce and fish grown in the Warrior Tribe
greenhouse will appreciate that a bio-security and good agricultural practices program is in place.
In addition, many grocery stores now have specific post-harvest and handling procedures for
fresh produce. The following chapter addresses these issues.
Permitting and Regulatory Law
The requirements for building and operating an aquaponic greenhouse and for marketing the fresh
vegetables and fish vary throughout the US and worldwide. Warrior Tribe will need to explore and
determine any regulatory restrictions or processes that are required for the aquaponics farm. Following
are areas to look into when determining which governmental bodies and regulatory law will affect your
operation. This list is to be used as a general guide. There could be additional issues to look at in your
particular Fort Bragg, North Carolina. We recommend that you begin exploring these areas to help
identify permitting processes and costs.
Building:
Some communities have building permits and codes relating to building a greenhouse. When inquiring
about these permits, keep in mind that a greenhouse is not built on a permanent foundation and
therefore, in many cases is not considered a permanent structure. In some agricultural areas, there are
wavers or exceptions for farm construction, so be sure to explore this option. Areas of potential building
permitting/codes to look at: plumbing for greenhouse water supply, septic (if sinks or bathrooms are
installed), electrical (for upgrading service and for greenhouse wiring), natural gas or propane
connection, general building.
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Operating:
There is likely a city, county or other business license you’ll need to acquire. There are local and federal
laws and regulations that affect you and your potential employees.
Vegetable Production:
Some grocery store chains now have requirements that affect your vegetable post-harvest and delivery
procedures. Contacting the produce buyers at stores you are considering selling to should help you
determine their specific requirements. Check with your local health department to see if there are other
regulations that could affect how you handle or sell your vegetables.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture could have rules regarding aquaponics or food
production.
North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services 1001 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1001 Phone: 919-707-3000 http://www.ncagr.gov
Fish:
In most states in the US, there are regulations related to importing, holding, farming fish and selling for
human consumption. We recommend contacting local resources to help you determine what will be
required in your location.
North Carolina Sea Grant
NC State University
Campus Box 8605
Raleigh, North Carolina C 27695-8605 Phone: 919-515-2454
Fax: 919-515-7095
https://ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/program-areas/fisheries-aquaculture/
North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 2 West Edenton Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27601
919-707-3000
http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/aquaculture/
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality 217 West Jones Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27603
877-623-6748
https://deq.nc.gov/contact
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When approaching agencies, it is important to differentiate your aquaponics farm from outdoor
agriculture. Be sure to point out that you will be raising fish in a tank, in a building, with no discharge
into local waterways. You do not use pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers in the system.
Market Study and Competitor Analysis
The Fort Bragg, North Carolina are is known for the Standard Mineral Company, a mine on the outskirts
of town, ships pyrophyllite all over the world, Situs, an advisor of the global real estate industry, and
War Sport Industries, that maintains the towns heritage of gun manufacturing with the opening of gun
and ammo manufacturing facilities.
The Fort Bragg, North Carolina area does not produce enough food to feed the population. A great deal
of fresh food is imported from other countries such as Mexico and China. Warrior Tribe is working to
change this trend by growing fresh, high quality fish and vegetables in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The advantage that Warrior Tribe has, is that the process of aquaponics is completely natural and this,
along with sustainability of the process and high quality of the crops, are marketing features that the
hydroponic and soil growers do not have. In addition, delivering a year-round, locally grown product
reduces transportation cost and damage.
There is a demand in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and the surrounding communities for fresh, locally
grown food. Grocery stores and restaurants are a reliable outlet for the produce and fish.
In addition, there are institutions like hospitals, prisons, schools and military bases that are potential
customers as well.
There are several types of lettuce typically sold in grocery stores in the Fort Bragg, North Carolina area.
Hydroponic Bibb or Butterhead lettuce is usually packaged in clear plastic tubs and labeled as
greenhouse or hydroponic and sells retail for $3.50 - $4.99 per head. In addition, there is premium or
organic field-grown, red leaf, green leaf and romaine that sells retail for $2.50 – 3.99/head.
We feel that these prices demonstrate that there is a viable market for premium lettuce in Fort Bragg,
North Carolina and surrounding communities.
Most of the tilapia sold in stores in North Carolina are imported from Indonesia, China, Mexico or
Central America. This imported tilapia is generally of very low-quality due to the lack of safety and
environmental regulations, low-quality fish food, long distance transportation and the lack of inspection
upon entry into the US. Whole imported tilapia usually retail about $4.00-$6.00/lbs. and imported
fillets about $5.00-$7.00/lb.
The tilapia that will be raised at this facility will be raised on high-quality fish feed without the use of
chemicals or antibiotics. This will be a very important factor in the marketing and acceptance of the
tilapia raised by Warrior Tribe. Aquaponic farms in Wisconsin are selling premium tilapia fillets at a
retail price of $12-14/lb.
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The Fort Bragg, North Carolina are has hundreds of grocery stores, food markets, hotels and restaurants
that are all potential customers. In addition, there are institutions like hospitals, prisons, schools and
military bases that are potential customers as well.
Marketing Considerations
The controlled environment greenhouse will provide a nearly ideal climate for the plants. This,
combined with the natural method of aquaponics, provides ideal growing conditions for the plants and
the year-round production allows continuous delivery to the markets and customers. There are several
options in marketing fresh lettuce, crops from the media beds and tilapia. You can sell directly to
grocery stores, institutions, farmer’s markets and restaurants, and also sell to produce distributors or
brokers, or establish a co-op or network of other growers that you market with.
We recommend selling direct to grocery stores, restaurants and institutions as the main outlet for the
produce. A road-side stand and Farmer’s Markets give you the option of selling retail, direct to the
consumer. It is very advantageous to sell as much produce and fish retail as possible because your net
income increases dramatically with retail sales. Keep in mind, however, this is a fairly large greenhouse
and you will likely need to sell a large portion of your crops wholesale, in high volume.
We have assumed that produce will be sold direct to wholesale and retail buyers, eliminating the need
for and cost of broker fees. Selling direct, you have the most control over how your product is
transported and handled and you earn the most for your efforts.
Educating your customers about the benefits and great taste of your crop will be a key factor in the
marketing strategy. Some may be familiar with the benefits of aquaponic produce, others will not. In
addition to explaining the methods used, it is very important to emphasize these
aquaponically (naturally) grown locally grown tastes, looks and smells better grown in a controlled
environment herbicide free pesticide free available year-round minimal waste due to the premium
quality grown using environmentally friendly, sustainable methods.
In-store tastings, flyers, seasonal promotions and recipe cards are all excellent methods to build a loyal
customer base. We feel that Warrior Tribe’s “niche” will be delivering a high-quality product to grocery
stores chains and restaurants on a consistent basis.
Staff and Labor Requirements
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When in full production, the system will require approximately 10-14 hours of skilled labor each day in
seeding, transplanting, harvesting, and packaging the lettuce and maintaining the fish tanks. During
startup, the system requires a lower labor input. Also, it can be operated at a lower level of production,
which requires less labor.
Any retail sales or agri-tourism will generate additional income and staff for these enterprises will be
required as well.
Training will be essential for operation of the Clear Flow Aquaponic System® and controlled environment
facility. Nelson and Pade, Inc.® offers the Extended Stay Learning Program (ESLP) which allows
individuals to learn and work in a real-aquaponic greenhouse setting, doing everything involved from
daily operation to troubleshooting. Each attendee starts out job- shadowing and, as skills are developed
and knowledge gained, the attendees have the opportunity to demonstrate what they've learned
through hands-on application. ESLP is available exclusively to clients who have purchased a commercial
Clear Flow Aquaponic System®.
Additional educational opportunities for those involved in the aquaponics facility are available, including
the Nelson and Pade, Inc.® Aquaponics Master Class® and “Introduction to Aquaponics” biology course
through the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP). The Aquaponics Master Class® is a
comprehensive course covering all aspects of aquaponics and controlled environment agriculture that is
accredited through the UWSP for one graduate, undergraduate or CEU credit. “Introduction to
Aquaponics” is a full semester course available to the public that takes place online with an optional
laboratory session for one extra credit at the Nelson and Pade, Inc.® Greenhouse.
Entrepreneurial, business and marketing skills, as with every business, will be needed for commercial
success of the Clear Flow Aquaponic System® facility, and if necessary, are recommended for those
managing the facility.
The job tasks include:
• Plant seeding, transplanting and harvesting
• Packaging of lettuce, herbs and tomatoes
• Tomato plant culturing
• Fish feed calculations and fish feeding
• Cleaning and maintaining filters
• Water quality testing
• Harvesting fish
The veterans performing these tasks will be learning and exposed to:
• Fish biology and health requirements
• Math calculations – fish food inputs, water flow, staggered planting
• Horticulture
• Plant variety selection
• Seed germination, culture
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• Photosynthesis and plant lighting
• Environmental control
• Plant needs
• Equipment maintenance
• Nutrition
• Water quality dynamics
• Biological pest control
• Bio-security
• Produce packaging
• Business and marketing
• The management team is required to oversee the following:
• Daily water quality testing and analysis
• Organize packing and distribution of produce
• Troubleshoot crop, culture system, pest and disease problems
• Be on-call for major greenhouse problems, power outages, equipment failure
• Make arrangements for an on-call person when leaving the property
• Checks daily of all mechanical equipment, including the generators, heating, cooling, gear
motors, pumps, greenhouse covering and initiate any repairs
• Troubleshoot greenhouse, mechanical and environmental issues
Construction Requirements and Time Frame
Prior to the arrival of the greenhouse and equipment, the ground can be leveled and floor prepared,
electrical service installed or upgraded (if needed), installation of a propane tank or natural gas lines to
the site, fresh water lines to the site, trenching and other infrastructure can be put into place.
If a professional greenhouse construction team is building the greenhouse, it can take approximately 4-
10 weeks to construct. However, weather delays, permitting or zoning issues, unforeseen regulatory
issues, or other challenges can extend the build time by weeks or months. If an inexperienced team is
building it, it can take many months, depending on the skill level and number of people involved. During
or after greenhouse construction, local contractors can work to connect any electrical, water, sewer,
fuel or infrastructure, as dictated by local code. Once the greenhouse is complete, it will take another 3-
6 weeks to complete the installation of the aquaponic and related systems. The length of time it will
take to install the aquaponic systems is dependent on the skill level and number of workers.
Once the greenhouse is proper environmental conditions can be maintained, the fish can be stocked
into the nursery before the grow-out systems are in place.
There is a start-up period for an aquaponic system of about 6 months before the systems are in full
production. Initially you stock the fish nursery and then the main culture system, one tank at a time,
which later results in regular harvests of fish. Once the main system has been running for 6-8 weeks,
you can begin adding plants. Then, you slowly increase plant production, adding another section of
plants every week, until you are at full production.
Costs and Economic Viability
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A detailed interactive spreadsheet is included with this report. This spreadsheet shows startup costs,
operating costs and projected revenue. There might be some blank lines to still be populated with local
or other costs. This interactive spreadsheet is an evolving document up until all costs have been
identified and verified. The projected profit margin and ROI will continue to change with each new or
changed entry on the spreadsheet.
The purpose of including this data as an interactive spreadsheet is to allow Warrior Tribe to further
adjust numbers to reflect some additional local costs. There are variable fields in the interactive
spreadsheet that can be changed, giving Warrior Tribe the ability to look at difference scenarios in
product pricing and operating costs. This spreadsheet is generated from a very complex series of highly
developed data-generating spreadsheets that reflect all aspects of the project, from climate to crop
choices.
In addition to the income streams for sales of lettuce, tomatoes, fish and agri-tourism, there is potential
for retail sales of non-food items such as books, videos, T-shirts, mini-aquaponic kits, etc. as a result of
the agri-tourism. Retail income is not estimated in this report.
Ramp-up costs for planning purposes
Once fully operational (12 months from first stocking of fish in nurseries), the monthly operational costs
and income won’t vary much. At that point, the annual numbers we provide in the spreadsheet can be
divided by 12. With continuous production, the labor and related input costs (fish food, seeds, cubes,
packaging, etc.) should be relatively stable month-to- month.
Time to full ramp up (full production)
System Assembly:
Once the greenhouse is built and utilities installed, it will take 2-4 weeks to install the aquaponic system,
fish nursery, purge and related components. The nursery systems should be installed first so that the fry
can be stocked.
Fish stocking schedule:
Nile Tilapia life cycle in Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems®:
• .5 g – 50 g: raised in nursery, 3 months
• 50 g – 680 g: raised in main culture system, 6 months, stock one tank per month for one harvest
per month
• Total time from fry to harvest: 9 months
Start-up sequence:
Months 1-3: Stocking fry in nursery systems and main system, begin adding plants in nursery.
Months 4-6: Increasing fish populations in nursery and main system; begin adding plants to main system,
initiate sequential planting, begin harvesting plants.
Months 7-9: continue adding plants, continue fish stocking, continue harvesting plants.
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Months 10-12: Fill all rafts, move into full production phase, continue harvesting plants, begin harvesting
fish.
Start-up costs:
Start-up costs track the start-up sequence closely. We generally assume that month 1 will be 1/12 of
annual expenses, month 2 will be 1/6, month 3 will be 1/4, month 4 will be 1/3, etc.
There are still some start-up costs to be determined locally, which will require bids from local
contractors to determine. Quotes will need to be gotten to determine the costs from these contractors.
General Comments and Conclusions
The success of any greenhouse business comes from good management, hard work and creative
marketing skills. There are some areas that will require experimentation and research to fine tune the
aquaponic system to the crops you choose to grow, the harvest cycles and local conditions. Following
the Nelson and Pade system of utilizing SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures), and GAP’s (Good
Agricultural Practices), success can be realized by taking advantage of the many years of experience that
Nelson and Pade, Inc.® has accrued. Through the Nelson and Pade Grower Program and other training
opportunities, aquaponics growers can feel assured that assistance is available. The curriculum and core
of aquaponics education are shared and emphasized to each and every grower to show the pathway to
profitable and secure food production.
Based on what we’ve learned about the concept, of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the climate, the cost of
doing business and the market, we feel this venture has the potential of becoming a successful business
with possibilities for expansion. The community benefits will enhance the neighborhood and enrich the
lives of the individuals involved.
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Appendix B: Business Plan
Business Plan
October 21, 2019
Warrior Tribe
171 Blacksmith Ln
Raeford NC 28376
910-568-1937
Website URL
Email address
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Confidentiality Agreement
The undersigned reader acknowledges that any information provided by Warrior Tribe in this business
plan, other than information that is in the public domain, is confidential in nature, and that any disclosure
or use of same by the reader may cause serious harm or damage to Warrior Tribe. Therefore, the
undersigned agrees not to disclose it without express written permission from Chloe Wisdom.
Upon request, the undersigned reader will immediately return this document to Chloe Wisdom.
___________________
Signature
___________________
Name (typed or printed)
___________________
Date
This is a business plan. It does not imply an offering of securities.
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Table of Contents
Confidentiality Agreement ........................................................................................................................74
I. Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................76
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
II. Company Description ............................................................................................................................77
Company Description Worksheet ............................................................................................................................................................. 8
III. Products & Services ..............................................................................................................................79
Product & Service Description Worksheet ............................................................................................................................................ 10
IV. Marketing Plan ......................................................................................................................................82
SWOT Analysis Worksheet ...................................................................................................................................................................... 83
Competitor Data Collection Plan ............................................................................................................................................................. 14
Competitive Analysis Worksheet ............................................................................................................................................................. 15
Marketing Expenses Strategy Chart ....................................................................................................................................................... 87
Pricing Strategy Worksheet ...................................................................................................................................................................... 88
Distribution Channel Assessment Worksheet....................................................................................................................................... 21
V. Operational Plan ....................................................................................................................................91
VI. Management & Organization ............................................................................................................103
Management Worksheet .......................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Organization Chart.................................................................................................................................................................................. 103
VII. Startup Expenses & Capitalization ..................................................................................................104
VIII. Financial Plan ......................................................................................................................................29
IX. Appendices ............................................................................................................................................31
X. Refining the Plan ....................................................................................................................................32
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I. Executive Summary
Warrior Tribe is a Care Farm business that employs transitioning Service Members (SMs) of the US
Military to benefit from horticulture therapy. Warrior Tribe utilized vocational, rehabilitative, and social
aspects of horticulture therapy while growing fresh produce through aquaponics. The products sold will
be fresh, organic produce such as lettuce, microgreens, kale, sprouts, and other vegetable crops grown
year round. Warrior Tribe will also sell Tilapia fish, as these are grown in the aquaponics system and are
a vital part of the operations, while producing hundreds of pounds of fish. The crops and fish will be
grown in the aquaponics systems, purchased from Nelson and Pade, a leader in aquaponics. This form of
farming maximized crop production, energy, and water for a technologically advanced form of organic
farming. After year one, it is Warrior Tribe’s intent to file for Benefits Corporation status, in order to
continue hiring its target population (transitioning SMs) and working towards eradicating loneliness and
isolation, unemployment, and suicide in SMs and veterans. Additionally, it is Warrior Tribes goal to
expand from the initial Commercial 100 System greenhouse to an industrial size of 29,880 sqft by its third
year in existence. By year five of operations, Warrior Tribe anticipates having opened a location and ten
military bases across the US. The ideal customers are the military and civilians living in and around the
military base(s) where Warrior Tribe operates. Commissaries, dining facilities, and local restaurants and
grocery stores are where Warrior Tribe envisions its organic produce being sold. Presently, there are
many local farmers in North Carolina, however there are also many farms from out of state and out of
country from which the military base and surrounding sites bring in produce. Warrior Tribe would be
more efficient and cost effective to vendors as supply for a variety of crops would be locally produced,
cutting down on transportation and shipping and handling fees as well as increasing freshness. By
partnering with Nelson and Pade, Warrior Tribe will be bringing 20 years of trusted experience in
aquaponics to the business, giving the Care Farm a competitive edge. Cost estimates include $398,812
and profit from growing micro greens alone is expected to be $24,000. This money will grow as the sizes
and locations of Warrior Tribe increase and expand, and more and more money will be put back into the
Benefits Corporation as a result, to benefit the social mission Warrior Tribe is founded on.
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II. Instructions: Company Description
This section explains the basic elements of your business. Include each of the below:
1. Company mission statement
Warrior Tribe’s mission is to eradicate loneliness and isolation in veterans by creating a Care
Farm to provide vocational, rehabilitative, and social forms of horticulture therapy while
producing fresh, organic produce to sell to the military base and surrounding communities.
2. Company philosophy and vision
a. Warrior Tribe’s values are community, health and wellbeing, and innovation.
b. Warrior Tribe’s vision is to become a transition point for SMs exiting the military, and a
healing place were lasting social connections are made; not just at Fort Bragg, North
Carolina, but at military bases across the US.
3. Company goals
Warrior Tribe’s short term goals are to employ SMs in the Fort Bragg, North Carolina area
transitioning off of active duty in order to curb the isolation and loneliness that often comes with
military separation. Warrior Tribe hopes to utilize horticulture therapy through its Care Farm to
improve SMs UCLA Loneliness scale scores and help to teach transitioning SMs and veterans
valuable social skills they can use for life. Warrior Tribe’s long term goals are to create long
lasting effects on SMs and veterans mental health and overall wellbeing, as well as grow to have a
site location at every military base in the US. Increasing sales and crop production to finance and
grow the Benefits Corporation mission will be a goal as well, using profit for future investment
and to reach more people.
4. Target market
Warrior Tribe’s target customers are in both the government and civilian sectors. Warrior Tribe
will sell its produce to the Fort Bragg area and surrounding communities; supplying local grocers,
restaurants, and markets. Additionally, Warrior Tribe will seek to get licensed to become a
contract vendor to the US military, so it may sell produce on the actual military base, supplying
the commissaries and dining facilities with its crops year round.
5. Industry
The Fort Bragg, North Carolina area does not produce enough food to feed the population. A great
deal of fresh food is imported from other countries such as Mexico and China. Warrior Tribe is
working to change this trend by growing fresh, high quality fish and vegetables in Fort Bragg,
North Carolina.
The advantage that Warrior Tribe has, is that the process of aquaponics is completely natural and
this, along with sustainability of the process and high quality of the crops, are marketing features
that the hydroponic and soil growers do not have. In addition, delivering a year-round, locally
grown product reduces transportation cost and damage.
6. Legal structure
a. Warrior Tribe is a corporation, and was chosen as such so that it may achieve Benefits
Corporation status each year, but serving it’s specific philanthropic mission while still
earning a profit, allowing it to be self-sustaining.
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III. Instructions: Products & Services
As a greater emphasis is placed on healthy eating and the need for a diet rich in vegetables and fish, it is
essential that these products be grown locally in a sustainable manner. This will be achieved in the
proposed aquaponic greenhouse. The marketing program will include information on healthy eating,
nutrition and sustainability.
1. Your company’s products and/or services: What do you sell, and how is it manufactured or
provided? Include details of relationships with suppliers, manufacturers and/or partners that
are essential to delivering the product or service to customers.
2. The problem the product or service solves: Warrior Tribe will produce locally grown, high-
quality food using a minimum of resources. Farming fish reduces the need for fishing and will
ease the quickly-declining populations of native fish. Aquaponic farming of vegetables
eliminates problems associated with soil degradation and the use of herbicides and pesticides.
In addition, all of these methods of growing food utilize a minimum of water, therefore,
preserving this vital resource. Delivering to local markets (within a 1 -hour radius), eliminates
the high cost of long distance trucking.
Additionally, Warrior Tribe will focus on employing transitioning SMs and veterans, thereby
seeking to eradicate the social problem of loneliness and isolation faced by SMs as the leave
active duty. Job training and employment opportunities to SMs and local veterans will be
provided by this facility as well. Employees will be needed to seed, harvest and pack the
produce, maintain the filter systems and feed the fish.
3. Any proprietary features that give you a competitive advantage: A community-based
education and training program can be implemented to help local students learn about science
through aquaponics. Specifically, Warrior Tribe will offer an outreach education program for
students in all grades to help teach about science, agriculture and business.
4. Increased Community Revenue Through Agri-tourism: Agri-tourism is becoming a very
popular sector of the tourism industry and an aquaponic facility will attract visitors. Agri-
tourism generates revenue through the tour fee and increased onsite sales as well as the monies
spent by tourists in a community. Promoting an agri-tourism program will bring tourists to the
area, benefiting the community as a whole.
5. Certified Naturally Grown: Warrior Tribe intends to be certified organic too. A certification
for aquaponic farms has been developed and is available through the Certified Naturally
Grown (CNG) program (naturallygrown.org). The aquaponics certification was developed
specifically for aquaponic farmers and the requirements are more stringent in many ways than
the USDA Organic Program.
USDA Organic Aquaponics is a natural method of growing. Having an organic certification
can increase marketability.
Until it achieves the USDA Organic seal, marketing the aquaponic produce for just what it is,
“sustainable, all natural, pesticide-and-herbicide-free and locally-grown” will be effective as a
unique selling point as well. Essentially, aquaponics is better than the USDA organic
certification; as our inputs are cleaner and safer than what is required for USDA certification.
6. How you will price your product or service: There is a demand in Fort Bragg, North
Carolina and the surrounding communities for fresh, locally grown food. Grocery stores and
restaurants are a reliable outlet for the produce and fish. In addition, there are institutions like
hospitals, prisons, schools and military bases that are potential customers as well.
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There are several types of lettuce typically sold in grocery stores in the Fort Bragg, North
Carolina area. Hydroponic Bibb or Butterhead lettuce is usually packaged in clear plastic tubs
and labeled as greenhouse or hydroponic and sells retail for $3.50 - $4.99 per head. In
addition, there is premium or organic field-grown, red leaf, green leaf and romaine that sells
retail for $2.50 – 3.99/head.
We feel that these prices demonstrate that there is a viable market for premium lettuce in Fort
Bragg, North Carolina and surrounding communities.
Most of the tilapia sold in stores in North Carolina are imported from Indonesia, China,
Mexico or Central America. This imported tilapia is generally of very low-quality due to the
lack of safety and environmental regulations, low-quality fish food, long distance
transportation and the lack of inspection upon entry into the US. Whole imported tilapia
usually retail about $4.00-$6.00/lbs. and imported fillets about $5.00-$7.00/lb.
The tilapia that will be raised at this facility will be raised on high-quality fish feed without the
use of chemicals or antibiotics. This will be a very important factor in the marketing and
acceptance of the tilapia raised by Warrior Tribe. Aquaponic farms in Wisconsin are selling
premium tilapia fillets at a retail price of $12-14/lb.
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IV. Instructions: Marketing Plan
1. Market research
North Carolina has a lengthy record of agriculture and has been a leader in produce and poultry
production for years, as well as a frontrunner in forestry. The agriculture industry grew by 10% from 2007
to 2012 as a new face in farming cropped up; newly established family-owned farms began pursing
organic and sustainable farming, and farmers started changing from growing tobacco to other crops.
Sweet potatoes, strawberries and greenhouse vegetables are becoming more and more popular. In 2012,
the market value of products sold from Harnett County farms alone, one of the many counties that
encircle Fort Bragg, NC, exceeded $190 million. The Harnett County Center of the North Carolina
Cooperative Extension partners with communities to deliver education and technology that enrich the
farming network (harnettedc.org, n.d). Warrior Tribe will have to keep this in mind as it plans to be a
leader in the agriculture industry in order to fund its mission to help veterans. Warrior Tribe intends to
give educational tours for agritourism purposes and showcase the technology used in the aquaponics
systems while educating people on this unique type of crop production. Selling tilapia will also separate
Warrior Tribe from its poultry competitors, as there is only one other fish farm in Cumberland county.
The controlled environment greenhouse will provide a nearly ideal climate for the plants. This, combined
with the natural method of aquaponics, provides ideal growing conditions for the plants and the year-
round production allows continuous delivery to the markets and customers. There are several options in
marketing fresh lettuce, crops from the media beds and tilapia. Warrior Tribe will sell directly to grocery
stores, institutions, farmer’s markets and restaurants, and also sell to produce distributors or brokers, or
could even establish a co-op or network of other growers that you market with.
Selling direct to grocery stores, restaurants and institutions will be the main outlet for the produce. A
road-side stand and Farmer’s Markets may give Warrior Tribe the option of selling retail, direct to the
consumer but will not be the primary source of sales. It is very advantageous to sell as much produce and
fish retail as possible because so that the net income increases dramatically with retail sales. However,
this is a large greenhouse and Warrior Tribe will need to sell a large portion of your crops wholesale, in
high volume to maximize its profit.
Selling directly to wholesale and retail buyers eliminates the need for and cost of broker fees. Selling
direct will give Warrior Tribe the most control over how its product is transported and handled and allow
for the most earning in return for our efforts.
Educating customers about the benefits and great taste of the crop will be a key factor in the marketing
strategy too. Some may be familiar with the benefits of aquaponic produce, others will not. In addition to
explaining the methods used, it is very important to emphasize these aquaponically (naturally) grown
locally grown tastes, looks and smells better grown in a controlled environment herbicide free pesticide
free available year-round minimal waste due to the premium quality grown using environmentally
friendly, sustainable methods.
Moreover, marketing the social mission of Warrior Tribe will be important in gaining additional
customers too. Warrior Tribe will apply each year to maintain Benefits Corporation status, and will
publicize its philanthropic mission of hiring SMs and veterans in order to eradicate loneliness and create
jobs for veterans. Marketing this aspect of the business will not only bring in more customers who share
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this mission, but it will also bring awareness to the cause and gain more investors as well as SM and
veteran employees.
In-store tastings, flyers, seasonal promotions and recipe cards are all excellent methods to build a loyal
customer base that will be carried out as well. Warrior Tribe’s “niche” will be delivering a high-quality
product to grocery stores chains and restaurants on a consistent basis by veterans who are vital to the Fort
Bragg community.
2. Barriers to entry
Barriers to entry might include:
• High startup costs
• High production costs
• High marketing costs
• Brand recognition challenges
• Finding qualified employees
• Need for specialized technology or patents
However, Warrior Tribe plans to address these barriers to entry by marketing its unique features of
naturally, aquaponics grown produce, mission to serve the military, and cost effective technology which
curbs many costs associated with traditional farming and produce. Additionally, several hundred SMs
exit the military every year, therefore finding employees should not be hard at all, especially since
Warrior Tribe plans to get involved with the transition assistance program to be plugged into SMs and
veterans who are job seeking and who are in need of the most help to curb their loneliness and isolation.
Furthermore, Warrior Tribe plans to work hand in hand with Nelson and Pade to stay on top of the latest
technology and patents for aquaponics in order to stay current and a competitor in today’s fast paced
technology landscape.
3. Threats and opportunities
SWOT Analysis Worksheet
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
Product/ Service
Offering
Natural
Niche
Social Mission
Takes time to
build customer
base
Sell multiple
products
Other farmers
Brand/ Marketing Unique grow
system
Social Mission
Cost Seeks to solve
many problem
sets
Cost
Competitors
Staff/HR Employs
SMs/Veterans
Small Staff Expansion of sites Target population
disinterested in
farming as a job
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Finance Owner can use
VA small
business loan
Financial risk to
open an
independently
owned company
Can get return on
investment prior
to first five years
Always a chance
of company
failure
Operations/
Management
Can be run by
small staff and
with help of
outside advisor,
Nelson and Pade
Need to hire
expert to have
onsite
Hire mental
health
practitioners and
those trained in
horticulture
therapy for added
value
Change of
ownership or
additional site
management
needs to keep
with mission
Market Food is always in
demand
Crops are
seasonal
In an aquaponics
greenhouse crops
are grown year
round
Crops may get
diseases or insect
infestation, must
protect crops
against weather
Can any of your strengths help with improving your weaknesses or combating your threats? If so,
please describe how below.
The multiple products Warrior Tribe offers will undoubtedly negate any threats from competitors, as
there are not currently competitors in the area selling as many types of produce all from one
location. Moreover, competitors are in area are beholden to the seasonal changes, while Warrior
Tribe is able to grow crops year round through its patented weather proof greenhouse design and
aquaponics system. Finally, Warrior Tribe is also serving a great purpose, a social mission, making it
philanthropic and giving it a niche and reason to chose it over its competition.
Based on the information above, what are your immediate goals/next steps?
Immediate goals will be to market the niche of Warrior Tribe and its myriad of products, rather than
focusing on just one aspect of its services.
Based on the information above, what are your long-term goals/next steps?
Long terms goals for Warrior Tribe will be to continue expanding in growing as many produce
varieties as possible and increasing its locations, to serve as many veterans and SMs as possible
through job create and loneliness eradication.
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4. Product/service features and benefits
• Organic
• Natural
• Pesticide free
• Grown by veterans
• Healthy
• Locally grown
• Fast delivery
• Creates jobs for SMs and veterans
• Feeds community
• Eradicates loneliness
• Cost effective
• Multiple products all from one place
Other than-sale services Warrior Tribe plans to provide:
• Product delivery
• Freshness guarantee
• Service contracts
• Ongoing support
• Horticulture therapy to workers
• Training /education tours
5. Target customer
Warrior Tribes aims to sell its product to consumers through distributors, such as grocers, restaurants, and
large markets, and therefore has two customers: the distributors (businesses) and the end users
(consumers).
For consumers:
• Age: 16-72
• Gender: M/F
• Location: within 50 mile radius of Fort
Bragg, NC
• Income: any
• Occupation: any
• Education level: any
For businesses:
• Industry: food, restaurant
• Location: any
• Size: any
• Stage in business (startup, growing,
mature): any
• Annual sales: any
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6. Positioning/Niche
The advantage that Warrior Tribe has, is that the process of aquaponics is completely natural
and this, along with sustainability of the process and high quality of the crops, are marketing
features that the hydroponic and soil growers do not have. In addition, delivering a year-round,
locally grown product reduces transportation cost and damage.
There is a demand in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and the surrounding communities for fresh,
locally grown food. Grocery stores and restaurants are a reliable outlet for the produce and
fish.
7. How you will market your product/service
Advertising may include:
• Online
• Social Media
• Print
• Radio
• Cable television
• Military Base / FRG / ACAP / VA
• Out-of-home
Marketing may include:
• Business website
• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• Mobile marketing
• Search engine optimization
• Content marketing
• Print marketing materials (brochures, flyers, business cards)
• Public relations
• Trade shows
• Networking
• Word-of-mouth
• Referrals
The image Warrior Tribe will use to project the business brand is below.
The design elements include commonly used colors of the area, which represent one of most
infamous military units at Fort Bragg, North Carolina (3rd Special Forces Group). Additionally,
these colors encompass history of the community as well, as they are the colors of the Lumbee
Indians who inhabited the area.
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Promotional budget
The U.S. Small Business Administration recommends spending 7 to 8 percent of your gross
revenue for marketing and advertising if you're doing less than $5 million a year in sales and
your net profit margin—after all expenses—is in the 10 percent to 12 percent range.
Marketing Expenses Strategy Chart
Target Market 1 Target Market 2 Target Market 3
One-Time
Expenses
$300 $300 $300
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Monthly or
Annual Expenses
$583 annually $583 annually $583 annually
Labor Costs
$250,000 for staff
salaries in first small
system
- -
8. Pricing
There are several types of lettuce typically sold in grocery stores in the Fort Bragg, North
Carolina area. Hydroponic Bibb or Butterhead lettuce is usually packaged in clear plastic tubs
and labeled as greenhouse or hydroponic and sells retail for $3.50 - $4.99 per head. In addition,
there is premium or organic field-grown, red leaf, green leaf and romaine that sells retail for
$2.50 – 3.99/head.
We feel that these prices demonstrate that there is a viable market for premium lettuce in Fort
Bragg, North Carolina and surrounding communities.
Most of the tilapia sold in stores in North Carolina are imported from Indonesia, China, Mexico
or Central America. This imported tilapia is generally of very low-quality due to the lack of
safety and environmental regulations, low-quality fish food, long distance transportation and the
lack of inspection upon entry into the US. Whole imported tilapia usually retail about $4.00-
$6.00/lbs. and imported fillets about $5.00-$7.00/lb.
The tilapia that will be raised at this facility will be raised on high-quality fish feed without the
use of chemicals or antibiotics. This will be a very important factor in the marketing and
acceptance of the tilapia raised by Warrior Tribe. Aquaponic farms in Wisconsin are selling
premium tilapia fillets at a retail price of $12-14/lb.
Pricing Strategy Worksheet
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Business Name
Warrior Tribe
Which of the following pricing strategies will you employ? Circle one.
Cost Plus
The costs of making/obtaining
your product or providing your
service, plus enough to make a
profit
Value Based
Based on your competitive
advantage and brand
(perceived value)
Other:
Provide an explanation of your pricing model selection.
Price is based off of average cost of produce and tilapia across the United States.
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9. Location or proposed location
Warrior Tribe will be looking for in a location in the vicinity of Fort Bragg proper. The location
will include features such as:
• Convenient location for customers
• Adequate parking for employees and customers
• Proximity to retailers we will be supplying (within 50 mile radius)
• A property that is just land or was previously an industrial space, in order that the
greenhouse be constructed
• A lot with plumbing and electricity either in place or able to easily be added
10. Distribution channels
Methods of distribution Warrior Tribe may use to sell its products and/or services may include:
• Retail
• Direct sales
• Wholesale
• Inside sales force
• Outside sales representatives
11. 12-month sales forecast
Costs and Economic Viability
A detailed interactive spreadsheet is included with this report. This spreadsheet shows startup
costs, operating costs and projected revenue. There might be some blank lines to still be
populated with local or other costs. This interactive spreadsheet is an evolving document up
until all costs have been identified and verified. The projected profit margin and ROI will
continue to change with each new or changed entry on the spreadsheet.
The purpose of including this data as an interactive spreadsheet is to allow Warrior Tribe to
further adjust numbers to reflect some additional local costs. There are variable fields in the
interactive spreadsheet that can be changed, giving Warrior Tribe the ability to look at
difference scenarios in product pricing and operating costs. This spreadsheet is generated from
a very complex series of highly developed data-generating spreadsheets that reflect all aspects
of the project, from climate to crop choices.
In addition to the income streams for sales of lettuce, tomatoes, fish and agri-tourism, there is
potential for retail sales of non-food items such as books, videos, T-shirts, mini-aquaponic kits,
etc. as a result of the agri-tourism. Retail income is not estimated in this report.
Ramp-up costs for planning purposes
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Once fully operational (12 months from first stocking of fish in nurseries), the monthly
operational costs and income won’t vary much. At that point, the annual numbers we provide
in the spreadsheet can be divided by 12. With continuous production, the labor and related
input costs (fish food, seeds, cubes, packaging, etc.) should be relatively stable month-to-
month.
Time to full ramp up (full production)
System Assembly:
Once the greenhouse is built and utilities installed, it will take 2-4 weeks to install the
aquaponic system, fish nursery, purge and related components. The nursery systems should be
installed first so that the fry can be stocked.
Fish stocking schedule:
Nile Tilapia life cycle in Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems®:
• .5 g – 50 g: raised in nursery, 3 months
• 50 g – 680 g: raised in main culture system, 6 months, stock one tank per month for one
harvest per month
• Total time from fry to harvest: 9 months
Start-up sequence:
Months 1-3: Stocking fry in nursery systems and main system, begin adding plants in nursery.
Months 4-6: Increasing fish populations in nursery and main system; begin adding plants to
main system, initiate sequential planting, begin harvesting plants.
Months 7-9: continue adding plants, continue fish stocking, continue harvesting plants.
Months 10-12: Fill all rafts, move into full production phase, continue harvesting plants, begin
harvesting fish.
Start-up costs:
Start-up costs track the start-up sequence closely. We generally assume that month 1 will be
1/12 of annual expenses, month 2 will be 1/6, month 3 will be 1/4, month 4 will be 1/3, etc.
There are still some start-up costs to be determined locally, which will require bids from local
contractors to determine. Quotes will need to be gotten to determine the costs from these
contractors.
Expense YR1 YR2
1. Personnel 250,000 125,0000
2. Direct Costs, Equipment,
Set Up, initial fees
63,995 250,000
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3. Operations 1,242 7,030
4. Communications 227 300
5. Travel 8,000 45,000
6. Meetings 348 588
7. Indirect costs 75,000 225,000
Totals 398,812 1,777,918
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V. Instructions: Operational Plan
Staff and Labor Requirements
When in full production, the system will require approximately 10-14 hours of skilled labor each
day in seeding, transplanting, harvesting, and packaging the lettuce and maintaining the fish
tanks. During startup, the system requires a lower labor input. Also, it can be operated at a
lower level of production, which requires less labor.
Any retail sales or agri-tourism will generate additional income and staff for these enterprises
will be required as well.
Training will be essential for operation of the Clear Flow Aquaponic System® and controlled
environment facility. Nelson and Pade, Inc.® offers the Extended Stay Learning Program (ESLP)
which allows individuals to learn and work in a real-aquaponic greenhouse setting, doing
everything involved from daily operation to troubleshooting. Each attendee starts out job-
shadowing and, as skills are developed and knowledge gained, the attendees have the
opportunity to demonstrate what they've learned through hands-on application. ESLP is
available exclusively to clients who have purchased a commercial Clear Flow Aquaponic
System®.
Additional educational opportunities for those involved in the aquaponics facility are available,
including the Nelson and Pade, Inc.® Aquaponics Master Class® and “Introduction to
Aquaponics” biology course through the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP). The
Aquaponics Master Class® is a comprehensive course covering all aspects of aquaponics and
controlled environment agriculture that is accredited through the UWSP for one graduate,
undergraduate or CEU credit. “Introduction to Aquaponics” is a full semester course available
to the public that takes place online with an optional laboratory session for one extra credit at
the Nelson and Pade, Inc.® Greenhouse.
Entrepreneurial, business and marketing skills, as with every business, will be needed for
commercial success of the Clear Flow Aquaponic System® facility, and if necessary, are
recommended for those managing the facility.
The job tasks include:
• Plant seeding, transplanting and harvesting
• Packaging of lettuce, herbs and tomatoes
• Tomato plant culturing
• Fish feed calculations and fish feeding
• Cleaning and maintaining filters
• Water quality testing
• Harvesting fish
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The veterans performing these tasks will be learning and exposed to:
• Fish biology and health requirements
• Math calculations – fish food inputs, water flow, staggered planting
• Horticulture
• Plant variety selection
• Seed germination, culture
• Photosynthesis and plant lighting
• Environmental control
• Plant needs
• Equipment maintenance
• Nutrition
• Water quality dynamics
• Biological pest control
• Bio-security
• Produce packaging
• Business and marketing
• The management team is required to oversee the following:
• Daily water quality testing and analysis
• Organize packing and distribution of produce
• Troubleshoot crop, culture system, pest and disease problems
• Be on-call for major greenhouse problems, power outages, equipment failure
• Make arrangements for an on-call person when leaving the property
• Checks daily of all mechanical equipment, including the generators, heating, cooling,
gear motors, pumps, greenhouse covering and initiate any repairs
• Troubleshoot greenhouse, mechanical and environmental issues
1. Production
Aquaponic Systems, Greenhouse Size, Estimated Annual Production
Patented Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® with ZDEP®
Commercial 100
6-50 Fish nursery Aquaponic System
2-100 Purge System
8520 sq. ft (71’ x 210’)
92.160 heads of fancy lettuce, assuming 20 harvests/year from each lettuce grow-out position
8,064 heads of lettuce or a variety of other vegetables from the Living Filter Beds
4,964 lbs. tilapia
2. Quality control
Maintaining consistency will involve careful quality control checks. Staff will be trained on how
to execute proper quality control procedures when it comes to packaging and handling. With
WARRIOR TRIBE
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every crop or fish that is packaged and sold there will be specific and precise measures that need
to be followed in accordance with the USDA.
3. Location
Site Considerations
Site specific factors to be explored include permitting, zoning and regulatory requirements,
water source and quality, status and size of electrical service, access and cost of utilities.
Requirements for the greenhouse include a flat, level piece of ground, easy access for deliveries
and shipments, electrical service, fresh water, sewer or septic and natural gas or propane.
The greenhouse will need:
• electrical power
• fresh water
• city sewer (if required)
• easy access for deliveries and shipments
• full sun exposure without shading form other buildings, structures or trees
• phone and internet access for greenhouse monitoring and alarm systems
In addition to the standard elements in the water test, it should be noted that copper is toxic to
fish at low levels. Therefore, copper pipe from the well or at any point in the water delivery
system should be replaced.
4. Legal environment
Building:
Some communities have building permits and codes relating to building a greenhouse. When
inquiring about these permits, keep in mind that a greenhouse is not built on a permanent
foundation and therefore, in many cases is not considered a permanent structure. In some
agricultural areas, there are wavers or exceptions for farm construction, so be sure to explore
this option. Areas of potential building permitting/codes to look at: plumbing for greenhouse
water supply, septic (if sinks or bathrooms are installed), electrical (for upgrading service and
for greenhouse wiring), natural gas or propane connection, general building.
Operating:
There is likely a city, county or other business license you’ll need to acquire. There are local and
federal laws and regulations that affect you and your potential employees.
Vegetable Production:
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Some grocery store chains now have requirements that affect your vegetable post-harvest and
delivery procedures. Contacting the produce buyers at stores you are considering selling to
should help you determine their specific requirements. Check with your local health
department to see if there are other regulations that could affect how you handle or sell your
vegetables.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture could have rules regarding aquaponics or food
production.
North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services 1001 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1001 Phone: 919-707-3000 http://www.ncagr.gov
Fish:
In most states in the US, there are regulations related to importing, holding, farming fish and
selling for human consumption. We recommend contacting local resources to help you
determine what will be required in your location.
North Carolina Sea Grant
NC State University
Campus Box 8605
Raleigh, North Carolina C 27695-8605 Phone: 919-515-2454
Fax: 919-515-7095
https://ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/program-areas/fisheries-aquaculture/
North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 2 West Edenton Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27601
919-707-3000
http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/aquaculture/
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality 217 West Jones Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27603
877-623-6748
https://deq.nc.gov/contact
When approaching agencies, it is important to differentiate your aquaponics farm from outdoor
agriculture. Be sure to point out that you will be raising fish in a tank, in a building, with no
discharge into local waterways. You do not use pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers in
the system.
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5. Personnel
Job Training and Employment Opportunities
Job training and employment opportunities to SMs and local veteran residents will be provided
by this facility. Employees will be needed to seed, harvest and pack the produce, maintain the
filter systems and feed the fish.
a. What types of employees? –Primarily SMs and veterans, and civilian support staff
b. Are there any licensing or educational requirements? Some employees may be
sent to the Master Growers course to learn more in depth aquaponics procedures
c. How many employees will you need? 15 SM or veteran employees the first year,
and 30 the second.
d. Will you ever hire freelancers or independent contractors? Temporary and
permanent employees will be on staff.
e. Include job descriptions. Gardeners, master growers, crop tenders, produce
packers, HR, marketing, administrative staff
f. What is the pay structure (hourly, salaried, base plus commission, etc.)? Pay
structure will be salaried.
g. How do you plan to find qualified employees and contractors? SMs and veterans
will be referred from the military’s transition assistance program and mental
health providers, those with the most risk for loneliness on the UCLA loneliness
scale, and who are interested in the program and employment, will be hired first.
h. What type of training is needed and how will you train employees? Day to day
activities can be taught on site, where the employee shadows a seasoned grower.
Otherwise, there are several advanced courses Warrior Tribe could send its
employees who want to learn more about growing and advance in the career.
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6. Supplies, Inventory, Equipment
System Component Descriptions
All of the components of the proposed aquaponic system are described below:
• Fish Tanks
The fish are raised in round tanks. Each fish tank has a bottom drain to ensure proper
water flow and waste removal. The water leaves the bottom drain and flows into the
clarifier. Windows can be installed in the tank for observation.
• Clarifiers for solids removal
Clarifiers (large conical bottom tanks) are used to remove the settleable fish waste.
Water and sludge flow from the drain of the clarifiers into the media-filled planters. This
sludge breaks down in the media-filled planters, providing nutrients for the fruiting
crops. The clarifiers are flushed on a regular basis.
• BioReactor
A biological filter provides habitat for beneficial microbes to do the natural conversion
from ammonia to nitrite and from nitrite to nitrate, which the plants use. The filter tank
is filled with bio-filtration media and heavily aerated.
• Degassing Tank
The degassing tank is aerated to allow CO 2 and other gasses in the water to dissipate
into the air.
• Mineralization Tanks
In the mineralization tanks, the minerals are slowly released from the fine suspended
solids that collect on the netting in the tank. These minerals make up the balance of
elements that a plant needs for growth. Denitrification is achieved through an anaerobic
biological process. Removing excess nitrogen prevents having too much nitrogen and
allows for a more balanced nutrient mix available to feed the plants.
• Sump Tank and Water Pump
The sump is the point in the system where the water returns via gravity after flowing
through the raft and NFT modules. A water pump is located in the sump tank and is used
to constantly recirculate the water through the system.
• Raft Tanks
The raft tanks hold the water that the plant rafts float on. A frame made of metal is
lined with an aquaculture-grade liner to form the raft tanks. Each tank is insulated with
rigid insulation to reduce heat loss/gain.
• Plant Germination and Accelerated Plant Nursery
The plant germination and seedling nursery is a separate NFT system. The plant spacing
in the NFT nursery is every 4”. The plants are started in the germination trays and then,
at about 10 days old, they are moved into the NFT nursery, where they are kept for
another 10-14 days. Then, they are transplanted into the rafts. This two-step process
dramatically increases the production from the system by best utilizing the greenhouse
space.
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• ZDEP® Filter
In a typical raft or NFT system, the sludge made up of fish waste and uneaten food is
filtered from the water and disposed of or used on field crops. In the patented ZDEP®
system, this sludge is separated, with the clear water going back into the main system
and the nutrient- rich sludge going into the sump tank for the Media beds, where it
slowly breaks down and provides nutrients to the plants in these containers.
• Living Filter Beds
The Living Filter media beds are fed from the water and nutrient-rich material leaving
the patented ZDEP® filter. This solution flows into a sump tank and is circulated through
the media beds.
• Aeration for Fish Tanks, Bio-Reactor and Raft Tanks
Air blowers are required to supply aeration for the fish tanks, the BioReactors, degassing
tank and the raft tanks.
• Plumbing, PVC pipe, parts, valves
A variety of PVC pipe, parts and valves are required for the plumbing.
• Fish Purge System
The fish purge system is an important component and directly affects the quality of the
fish. Once fish are ready to harvest, they are moved to the purge tank where they are
kept an additional 3-4 days. During this time, they are not fed, the water temperature is
slowly lowered and salt is added to the water. This “purging” process results in a very
clean- tasting, firm fish fillet.
• • Fish Nursery System
The nursery system is where the new fingerlings are grown from fry to 50 grams. Once
the fingerlings reach 50 grams, they are moved into the main grow-out system. This
increases operational efficiency. The fish nursery is a complete aquaponic system, so
plants can be grown in the attached raft tanks.
Greenhouse Structure and Equipment
The purpose of the greenhouse is to provide proper environmental conditions for the fish and
plants, year-round.
A greenhouse manufacturer will design the greenhouse for the climate in Fort Bragg, North
Carolina. Specific details of the greenhouse will come from the manufacturer.
Please ensure with the greenhouse manufacturer that the greenhouse and related
environmental control equipment has been designed to maintain adequate air temperatures
for plant growth. You will need to provide 100 % shading material over the fish and filter tanks.
An ideal water temperature for the system is 74.
For best results, the greenhouse design should include: bio-secure entryways and insect
screening on openings, heaters, exhaust fans, vertical and horizontal air flow fans.
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Engineered drawings with a North Carolina engineer’s stamp are available from the greenhouse
manufacturer if needed for an additional fee. Do note that structural components, design and
costs can change once the engineering is done.
If you are not familiar with building and construction techniques, working with contractors,
building and zoning departments, we recommend that you hire a general contractor to oversee
the project as a whole.
Other greenhouse considerations:
• Floor Covering
The greenhouse can be built on compacted earth, and then concrete walkways can be
poured. There are many benefits of concrete flooring and/or walkways in a greenhouse.
The concrete makes an insect-proof barrier between the greenhouse and the soil below.
The concrete is easy to clean and has a smooth finish that is safe and easy for workers to
walk on and roll carts on. The biggest benefit is cleanliness. Keeping an aquaponic
greenhouse clean and free of mold, fungus and dirt is the most important factor in
maintaining a healthy crop. Concreting all exposed floor will result in a cleaner
greenhouse.
• Electrical Service
The electrical components in the Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® are run on 110/220. To
accommodate the variable speed water pumps, standard water pumps, motors,
blowers, lights and other system electrical components, single-phase electricity should
be installed when installing an electrical service. We do not recommend 3-phase electric
service because 3-phase does not typically meet the needs of the electrical components
included in the aquaponic system. If you already have 3-phase at your chosen site, the
grow lights and possibly the regenerative blower can be ordered to operate in 3-phase.
The other components cannot. Converting 3-phase to single-phase is a costly
adaptation. Additionally, the required backup generator for 3-phase will cost
substantially more than single-phase back-up generator.
• Back-Up Generator
Having a continuous power source is essential to running an aquaponic greenhouse.
Redundancy in the energy system will need to be planned and implemented.
Interruptions in the power or environmental control systems will result in disruptions in
crop development or even fish and/or plant crop death. Critical loads would be
considered a device that keeps the fish alive in the main aquaponic system, fish nursery
and fish purge system during a power outage. It could include all or some of your unit
heaters if you live in a cold climate. There are also system water heaters that could be
critical in an extended outage but in a short-term outage the water in your system may
not need to be heated and will hold its temperature for several hours simply because of
its mass. It may also include your cold storage unit that you keep your lettuce stored in
but this too will hold its temperature for several hours. Some room lighting should be
backed up so you can monitor your greenhouse during an outage at night.
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A certified electrician should determine the size of the generator that you will require,
based on the electrical components in your system and which of those you want to back
up. The generator should be auto-start.
• Plant Grow Lights
We recommend plant grow lights because of the increase in production they provide.
The cost of electricity in is reasonable at .09/kwh, making the grow lights an
economically-viable addition. For supplemental lighting in a greenhouse, 1000-watt
Metal Halide lights with a full spectrum bulb are recommended, along with timers and
relays. The light fixtures include a glass shield, which protects the crop in the event of
bulb breakage.
• Cold Storage
If produce is not sold immediately after harvest, provisions must be made to keep it cool
and fresh. We recommend a walk-in type of cooler for the bulk of storage and a smaller
retail cooler for “farm market” sales. There are many types and sizes of each. The size of
walk-in needed by Warrior Tribe for will be approximately 10’ x 10’. This will allow
storage for a two days-worth of harvest. When shopping for coolers it is important to
note that a unit that is “almost” big enough will not be suitable. It is always optimal to
purchase a little larger unit if given the choice. To look at a variety of walk-in cooler
configuration and sizes, check out https://www.webstaurantstore.com/.
• Dry Storage
It is important to plan space for dry storage for fish food, grown cubes, packaging
supplies and related materials. A 6-month supply of these items for a Commercial 100
System, will require 384 cu. ft. of storage.
Site Details and History
Warrior Tribe as yet to identify a property available in the Fort Bragg, North Carolina
area.
Prior to greenhouse construction, a final grading of the earth will be required and the
site will need to be elevated with fill if the area is flood prone.
Water quality
A greenhouse water analysis has not been reviewed by Nelson and Pade, Inc. at this time but
will be once a site has been identified and Warrior Tribe works with the city / county to have
the water tested.
Site Considerations
Site specific factors to be explored include permitting, zoning and regulatory requirements,
water source and quality, status and size of electrical service, access and cost of utilities.
WARRIOR TRIBE
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Requirements for the greenhouse include a flat, level piece of ground, easy access for deliveries
and shipments, electrical service, fresh water, sewer or septic and natural gas or propane.
The greenhouse will need:
• electrical power
• fresh water
• city sewer (if required)
• easy access for deliveries and shipments
• full sun exposure without shading form other buildings, structures or trees
• phone and internet access for greenhouse monitoring and alarm systems
In addition to the standard elements in the water test, it should be noted that copper is toxic to
fish at low levels. Therefore, copper pipe from the well or at any point in the water delivery
system should be replaced.
WARRIOR TRIBE
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VI. Management & Organization
Organization Chart
President
Program Manager Master Grower
Mental Health
Practitioners
Business Analyst
Technology Site Lead
Senior Growers
Mid-level growers
New Growers
Licensed practitioner
Case managers
Human Resources
and Recruiting
Horticulture therapy
technicians
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VII. Startup Expenses & Capitalization
See Excel Spreadsheets included in Prototype
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
Every day in the US 22 veterans commit suicide. Although there are many factors contributing to why an individual takes their own life, isolation and loneliness is perhaps one of the biggest causes. Moreover, if isolation and loneliness does not lead to suicide in an individual, it can also lead to worsened overall health and take as many as ten years off an individual’s life. By addressing grand challenge number five, eradicating isolation, as it concerns the military population, we will impact millions who currently suffer from loneliness and feel the devastating second and third order effects it has on mental health, physical health, and overall life satisfaction. The Warrior Tribe Care Farm will utilize a noninvasive, covert method to bring veterans together, out of isolation, through the creation of a horticulture therapy program designed to impress vocational, rehabilitative, and therapeutic intervention on SMs and veterans suffering from isolation in the form of a unique and innovative program. Warrior Tribe will not only impart new job skills on SMs and veterans, but it will also feed the community by providing health and affordable produce, a while unobtrusively healing veterans through the practice of gardening. There is a need for jobs and healthy, affordable produce everywhere in the world, giving Warrior Tribe exponential potential to grow in size and expand to locations all over the country, reaching more and more veterans along the way. The landscape today is perfect for Warrior Tribe and there is unlimited potential to create change on a strategic level
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Military and veteran
Asset Metadata
Creator
Wisdom, Chloe Lynn
(author)
Core Title
Warrior tribe: veteran utilization of aquaponics to fight loneliness
School
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
Degree
Doctor of Social Work
Degree Program
Social Work
Publication Date
02/10/2020
Defense Date
12/01/2019
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
combat veterans,Gardening,Isolation,Loneliness,OAI-PMH Harvest,PTSD,service members,veterans
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Manderscheid , Ron (
committee chair
), Orras, George (
committee member
), Rank, Michael (
committee member
)
Creator Email
chloe@usc.edu
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-267061
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UC11673445
Identifier
etd-WisdomChlo-8065.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-267061 (legacy record id)
Legacy Identifier
etd-WisdomChlo-8065.pdf
Dmrecord
267061
Document Type
Capstone project
Rights
Wisdom, Chloe Lynn
Type
texts
Source
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(contributing entity),
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
(collection)
Access Conditions
The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...
Repository Name
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Repository Location
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Tags
combat veterans
PTSD
service members
veterans