Members: Peter Dobler Francis Krivanka Chris Ratcliff Kevin Kuhn

Overview

Water Filtration Previously installed by an earlier group, but was currently disconnected due to a low flow rate out of the system because of the lack of replacement cartridges Other options were researched, but the current system was determined to be the best MdL kitchen highest priority over director’s house-Vicki New version of cartridges

Communication! Main problems with previous projects lack of effective communication with MdL staff  focus on this -Vicki: current staff will sustain projects Make sure Vicki understands what is going on Meetings with staff at beginning and end of week Placed the instructions for replacing the filters in the correct order behind the system Placed the team documentation in English and Spanish on the wall as well, contains appearance, function, cost of filters as well as ordering instructions

Water Testing Water tested with arsenic kit donated from Hach Unfiltered water: ppb Filtered water: about 5 ppb WHO standard: 10 ppb  new cartridges work!! Chlorine also tested with photometer Chlorine concentration is still at an adequate level, so no problems there

Future Recommendations Make sure the filtration system is being sustained, and that Saul is replacing and installing the filters correctly Improve on some of the past water team’s projects- gravity feed system, irrigation, septic system Water-related issues with tilapia pond More effective communication method between OSU and MdL so that redundant/unnecessary projects don’t happen, OSU group is familiar with what MdL is doing, max benefit for MdL

Garden Goal: Improve Agriculture at MdL Food Income Problem: Weather Extreme heat Hard rain Solution: Protect the plants Roof already in progress Shade netting addition

Already in progress Shade netting addition

Future Recommendations Assessment How well is the shade roof working? How well is the shade roof holding up? Put up more shade netting to cover the rest of the garden or more areas if necessary

Compost Goal: develop a good system for composting Wet vs. dry, greens vs. browns, oxygen Problem: MdL’s compost area was too full and appeared to be only wet waste Our solution: Share proper composting techniques with staff Utilize more bins for composting Fill new bins with proper mix of waste

Our Solution

Better Solution Biodigester Converts organic waste into biogas and nutrient rich liquid fertilizer, or what could commonly be referred to as compost

Future Recommendations Biodigester Talk to Dr. Jay Martin from the Dept. of FABE Figure out what needs to be done in order to maximize production of both gas and compost Complete installation Develop clear yet comprehensive notes for sustainability

Tilapia Culture Tilapia culture is found throughout the world because it can turn unproductive land into a source of income and nutrition. Can it work for MDL? Tilapia pond benefits Sustainable – locally available inputs Nutrition Economic value Integration with chickens/garden Tilapia pond potential issues Pond placement/Construction Oxygen content/Water quality Feeding Operating costs

Existing Pond Active for 6 months 7 fish/m 2 (about 300 fish) 95% of fish sterile Design Issues Unnecessary depth High cost to aerate Small Surface Area Limited population Not enough fish – project was not cost effective

Pond Construction There is space next to the chicken coop Close to the garden Space for one pond of about 130 m 2 (or multiple ponds) 1m depth ? More smaller harvests or fewer big harvests? Must use concrete Drain required – should be connected to garden 13.6m 8.3m 15.6m 12.6m For tilapia culture to be successful at MDL, new ponds must be built

Water Quality *Bocek, Alex. An introduction to aquaculture. A technique to measure algae content in the pond.* Tilapias are hardy fish Dissolved oxygen is the major concern Tilapia can survive at relatively low oxygen levels A shallow pond incorporates oxygen through contact with air Algae photosynthesize during the day creating O 2 At night, algae respire and use oxygen Algae content must be closely monitored and night time aerators must be used 10% of pond water should be replaced every week

Feeding Could be the most expensive part of upkeep Tilapia will eat a wide variety of food Additional sources: - Chicken/garden/meal scraps - Algae - algae growth in the pond can be stimulated by addition of compost or manure - Possibility for sustainability There may be a tradeoff between cost and growth rate Concentrate costs 500 Lempira for a 6 pound bag – Can get very expensive Bocek, Alex. An introduction to aquaculture. Tilapia eat naturally occurring organisms in the pond which can be stimulated by addition of manure or chemical fertilizers

Cost Analysis Fish ValueStocking CostElectricity CostFeeding CostNet 24, ,000+ 9,948 L Looks promising. Note, however, how much it changes if 1 full bag of feed is needed per week instead of ½ bag. Fish ValueStocking CostElectricity CostFeeding CostNet 24, ,000- 3,052 L Cost analysis based on information received from Universidad Zamorano 27 L/lb Stocking fry: 85 centimos/fish Electricity: 18 cents/hr (180 Watt pump for 4 hours a day) Food: 500 L/6lb

Recommendations Use old pond for test If things go well, build 2 or 3 small concrete ponds next to the chicken coop Connect ponds to garden to make use of waste water Carefully monitor algae growth If not enough, add chicken manure Experiment with different types of feed to try to minimize costs Try using scraps from chicken processing Determine change in growth rate, if any

The End