Rethinking the Urban Environment, Part II: 'St. Peter's Fish'

From: Morningstar Fishermen (link)

'Tilapia go by many names. The moniker "St. Peter's fish" comes from the story in the Christian Bible about the apostle Peter catching a fish that carried a coin in its mouth, though the passage does not name the fish.^[3] While the name also applies to Zeus faber, a marine fish not found in the area, a few tilapia species (Sarotherodon galilaeus galilaeus and others) are found in the Sea of Galilee, where the author of the Gospel of Matthew accounts the event took place. These species have been the target of small-scale artisanal fisheries in the area for thousands of years.^[4][5] In some Asian countries including the Philippines, large tilapia go by pla-pla while the smaller types are just tilapia.^[6]

Tilapia go by many names. The moniker "St. Peter's fish" comes from the story in the Christian Bible about the apostle Peter catching a fish that carried a coin in its mouth, though the passage does not name the fish.^[3] While the name also applies to Zeus faber, a marine fish not found in the area, a few tilapia species (Sarotherodon galilaeus galilaeus and others) are found in the Sea of Galilee, where the author of the Gospel of Matthew accounts the event took place. These species have been the target of small-scale artisanal fisheries in the area for thousands of years.^[4][5] In some Asian countries including the Philippines, large tilapia go by pla-pla while the smaller types are just tilapia.^[6]'

From: Blue Ridge Aquaculture (link)

'...MARTINSVILLE, Va. — It doesn’t look like a farm. From the outside it looks like any other manufacturing building in an industrial park. Step inside, however, into the humid office area and it is obvious something different is going on.

Blue Ridge Aquaculture (BRA) in Martinsville, is the world’s largest indoor fisheries. In its 100,000-square-foot facility on less than two and a half acres of land, BRA raises more than 4 million pounds of protein every year in the form of tilapia. In contrast, using the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association statistics, less than 10,000 pounds of beef could be produced on the same acreage and not in an industrial park.

Tilapia is a valuable source of protein, and it is growing in popularity. Demand for the fish quadrupled in the four years leading to 2007 and has continued to grow. The National Marine Fisheries Service ranks tilapia as the fifth most popular seafood in the United States.

BRA uses an indoor recirculating aquaculture system to grow tilapia to 1.5 pounds at harvest, with a stocking density of 1.5 gallons of water per fish. Unlike other large-scale animal production, which may require the prophylactic use of antibiotics and growth hormones to overcome stress caused by high animal densities, the tilapia actually benefit. Being packed together makes the fish less territorial and aggressive and improves health and growth rates.

“The fish grow better that way,” said Jim Franklin III, BRA vice president. “These fish are bred for this facility. We could increase the density. The density of the fish is not an issue; it’s water condition....”

These two organizations say it (there are many more) better than I can. Fish-framing and Indoor Fish-Farming are potentially viable economic activities for urban and rural areas.

For example, this could be done in Plainfield; all that is needed is the will, gumption and ingenuity to put all the pieces together. Plainfield could husband a pilot project run by Union County College in conjunction with Plainfield High School as the beginnings of a new academic program in Aquaculture with funding to come from grants -the hard part.  Doing it this way takes some of the pressure off of having to be profitable right away, gives more time to work the kinks out (and there will be kinks) and develops a local talent pool.

Next more on Aquaculture: 'Skyscrapers in the Mist/Midst'

Tony Rucker, Dwayne Wilkins: For want of a Nail

I happen to be looking at one of the comments in Old Doc’s blog. It was a comment by Dwayne Wilkins, Tony Rucker’s campaign manager (putative?) and it got me thinking.

‘…We spend way too much time fighting over little stuff, when we really need to spend time on the big stuff…’

To my mind it is disingenuous when someone says, .‘We spend way too much time fighting over little stuff, when we really need to spend time on the big stuff…’  Every experienced business person that I know knows, it’s the little stuff that counts, it’s the little stuff that can put you out of business, it’s the little stuff can mean the difference between a profit and loss, it’s the little stuff, a blood clot, that can kill you and it’s the little stuff that can mean the difference between a happy customer and a lawsuit. It's the little stuff that is really hard.

A lot of us are old enough to remember the Challenger disaster.  It happen, as the Physicist Richard Feynman showed, because management ignored the little stuff. So don’t ever say ‘We spend way too much time fighting over little stuff, when we really need to spend time on the big stuff…’ because the little stuff can come back and bite you in the ass. The Devil is in the details.

‘For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.’

Let’s not let this be the fate of Plainfield.

Assemblyman Jerry Green: Out for Campaign Blood?

In a less than tepid defense of his had picked candidate and of his own accomplishments, Assembly Gerald (aka Jerry) Green open the 2011 Primary Season. Here are excerpts from Chairman Green’s blog post of April 12th in quotes with my comments:

‘…so I find it very odd that from the beginning; they have a problem with me supporting Tony Rucker as the candidate for this year’s Primary race…‘

Jerry, So Tony Rucker is your hand-picked candidate?

‘…Now that I am using the same process, in every comment in which she (Council Woman Williams) references the City Committee, she wants to make me sound like a dictator. I guess in her mind, the rules change when they are convenient to her…’

Then you don’t mind the public seeing the video of your behavior at the meeting before last?

‘…So I feel that it is very unfair to be critical of Tony Rucker, because I feel he is the best candidate for the second ward….’

Critical judgment is crucial in deciding if Tony Rucker is qualified to serve as a council person or should we take your word for it?

‘…He made it very clear to me that he will not be a rubber stamper, and that he is running to make life better for ALL of the residents of Plainfield, including the second ward. He made no promises to me, and I made no promises to him…’

So did the 3 council members you claim to have in your pocket.

‘…I knew I was making the right decision by supporting a new face, a person with new ideas, and a person who wants the best for the City of Plainfield….’ 

What ideas?

‘…Already, some of the negative comments that have been said lead me into the next issue in which I would like to bring clarification. Number one, when I mention the Prosecutor, I have taken to him numerous letters and blog comments that I felt had crossed the line, and some have been investigated, but none of them crossed the line…’

What about your ad hominen attacks on citizens of Plainfield?

‘…Already, I see council members spending more time talking about investigation. Whether it is the $20,000 the Mayor spent, or other issues I feel are minor when compared to this year’s budget…’

You do agree that Plainfield has a right to know if someone broke the law?

‘So I would like the City of Plainfield to wake up today and hold their elected officials accountable to the millions of dollars the City will lose in this year’s budget. ‘

Does that include Jerry Green who bills himself as the 3^rd most powerful man in Trenton?

‘Just recently, we lost millions of dollars in education funding, and are on the brink of losing millions in transportation funding…’

Dude, my man, you Jerry Green cast the deciding vote to end Abbot funding and assured the people of Plainfield that it would have no impact. Aren’t you being just a little hypocritical?

Chairman Green the people of Plainfield are not stupid. Times have changed when will you?

Rethinking the Urban Environment, Part I: 'Sleeping with the Fishes'

Lack of imagination is the major impediment to the revitalization of the Urban Environment. Politicians continue to ply the same old industrial 20th Century Solutions to 21st Century Problems. Need urban development? Slap up some Condos, build some roads and run some job training programs are typical solutions that go nowhere. It seems that most communities and most people never bother to challenge themselves to come up with a holistic solution capable of creating an affordable, sustainable community which benefits everyone in the community.  Which leads me to the first part of this series? 

'Sleeping with the Fishes': 

New Jersey use to be a truck farming center supplying local produce to the major urban centers in the area, Newark, New York and Philadelphia. All that changed, with the advent of the interstate highway system and cheap oil leading, to urban sprawl replacing the farms. We now get not only our exotic food but our regular every day food from all over the country and all over the world from California, Chile, China, etc. This works well so long as food is cheap and plentiful and there is the rub. As the rest of the world rapidly industrializes and we subsidize the production of biofuels, the era of 'Cheap and Plentiful' food for Americans is coming to an end. The rest of the world wants what we got and are willing to bid the price up to get it. Fresh water is becoming a scarce resource and the oceans are quickly becoming depleted of edible fish stock. This crisis won't be going away any time soon but its solution can benefit our community. How? 

Indoor urban fish farming -OK, you can stop laughing. It turns out that if you are going to rethink the urban environment this a good place to start as a proof of concept.  'For example, using a RAS (RECIRCULATING AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS, click for details) it is 

possible to product over 100,000 pounds of fish in a 5,000 square-foot building, whereas 

20 acres of outdoor ponds would be necessary to produce an equal amount of fish with 

Traditional open pond culture...'  Ask yourself, how many 5000 square-foot buildings that are empty or underutilized do we have along the Raritan Valley RR corridor in Plainfield?

Advantages of an Indoor System

• The fish stock is protected from predators, weather changes and natural calamities
• With high control over temperature, water quality and feeding, it is possible to produce fish faster and at any time during the year
• Closed, indoor aquaculture systems are often considered as more friendly to the environment because they require less water and result to less waste. As an alternative to marine aquaculture, it doesn’t result to the pollution of coastal waters with drugs, chemicals and antibiotics
• It avoids the usual danger of fish escapes associated with traditional open net pens and cages system of fish farming in coastal waters
• It allows higher stocking densities, requiring smaller spaces and lesser management needs. As such, it can save a farm owner labor and time to manage a farm
• It allows production facilities to be near the market, saving transportation costs'

So in the future could Plainfield be 'Sleeping with the Fishes?'

To be continued…

Deconstructing: Rucker Supporter Anonymous Comment

This comment was made in response to my blog post of 4/8/11: ‘Tony Rucker Anointed by His Holiness, Assemblyman Green, to run in Primary.’

‘Nat, you're implying assumptions that have no basis. Yes, let's stick to the issues, so we can do something about them, instead of just talking about them. It's not just the Sharon & Jerry show that must close down, but the Jerry-New Dem Show too. We're choking on the reruns and it's rude of you force us to keep watching. Turn the channel.

April 9, 2011 3:58 PM’

Deconstructing it:

‘Nat, you're implying assumptions…’

What assumptions?  He genuflected? He kissed the Pope’s Ring?  These are all metaphors; you know, poetic license.

‘…that have no basis…’

Don’t you mean: that have no basis in fact…?

Fact: Jerry announced that Tony Rucker was his candidate.  Jerry allowed no nominees from the floor, no discussion and no vote by the City Committee. Tony Rucker by his acceptance of Jerry’s nomination implicitly agrees with the totally undemocratic process of his selection. If he does not he should say so.

‘Yes, let's stick to the issues, so we can do something about them, instead of just talking about them.’

Jerry Green is issue number 1. What planet are you on, Mars?  He has presided over the dissolution of Muhlenberg Hospital, provided the key vote that ended Abbot District funding and gave Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, whose biggest accomplishment was to fire a pregnant woman, effective Christmas day, do to give birth on January 2nd.  This from the 3^rd most powerful man in the state!

Did you read all of my post? It has a list of other issues that I asked for a response. So far all I’ve heard is silence. I assume that when Tony Rucker gets the time he will respond, clearly stating the issues and how to solve them.

'It's not just the Sharon & Jerry show that must close down, but the Jerry-New Dem Show too.'

Tony Rucker is Sharon and Jerry’s candidate. He is a player in their show; a potential ‘fourth’ vote in Jerry’s pocket. If not, if he is so independent, why didn’t he run on a separate Independent line. He can’t have it both ways.

‘…but the Jerry-New Dem Show too.’

Politics is theater; it is an exercise in free speech. You know, the 1^st Amendment to the Constitution? You want to shut it down?

So far the only Tony Rucker I’ve seen, is one who is Fact-Free and Solution-Free and comes from the ‘Why can’t we all just get along’ school of politics.

'We're choking on the reruns and it's rude of you force us to keep watching. Turn the channel.'

Nobody is forcing you to watch anything. You have hands; a remote control. Turn it off, yourself.

What’s next, you want me to wi…-no I’m not going to say it.

Tony Rucker Anointed by His Holiness, Assemblyman Green, to run in Dem Primary

Last night Tony Rucker genuflected, kissed the Pope’s ring and was installed as Assemblyman’s Gerald (aka Jerry) Green’s candidate to run for council against Cory Storch, in the Democratic primary –click on the picture to the right to see scenes from the ceremonies.  And while Tony has never been to Manchuria, to my knowledge, he must have fit the bill of a candidate pliable enough that if he were to win, he would be the fourth one in the Assemblyman’s pocket (Green’s words not mine.)

Tony before I go any further, when you’re around Jerry, stay away from buses. The town is full of people he has thrown under and if he offers you Kool-Aid, never no not ever drink it, especially if it is grape.

My advice, focus on the issues and provide real solutions. Let me say that again: focus on the issues and provide real solutions.  As a start, please let us know the things you think the current administration has done right, wrong and where they can improve; what would you do about the PMUA, fiscal responsibility, the Mayor’s revolving employment practices, Muhlenberg, gang violence, economic development  and improving the number of youths served, 600 by their own admission, by the Division of Recreation?

Finally, I can’t stress it enough, stay focused.

What will Assemblyman Green and Manchuria have in common on April 7th?

A Candidate. 
Mark April 7th on your calendar as the Honorable Assemblyman Gerald (aka Jerry) Green will announce to Plainfield and the world, the 2nd Ward Democrat candidate for city council. As the Assemblyman was overheard to say; 'I've got three in my pocket and need a fourth.'

I wonder who will get that fated phone call, Cory Storch, Tony Rucker, Owen Fletcher or some totally Unknown Political Neophyte, who is a big PMUA supporter? Inquiring minds, who want to know, will have to wait until April 7th. 

What I do know is this, none of the city committee members that I have spoken to have been asked who they thought would be a good candidate and as far as they know, they will not have an opportunity to vote for more than one candidate for the 2nd ward. I can also say, since he personally told me when dropped by my house unannounced back in November, that he was putting together a new organization that will trounce the New Dems. I said more power to you, let the battle begin.