Fall 2014 This Issue Contains: • Noah Was A Prepper • Are You Prepared? • Canned Soup Recipe • Good News from West Africa • Saltwater Aquaponics • Energy from Fish Waste? • 9 Tips to Reduce Your Heating Bill
HELPING OTHERS HELP THEMSELVES
NOAH was a
Prepper
NOT AN EXTREMIST I believe that preparing for the future, come what may, is both wise and biblical.I am not an extremist and don’t feel that you have to be one to understand the wisdom of preparedness.
A VESSEL FOR EXSISTENCE Noah was described as a righteous man who lived in a time of extreme violence and lawlessness. Of all the people on the earth, only Noah found favor with God. God instructed Noah to build an ark that would shelter his family and the animals for the duration of the coming flood, and to store an adequate supply of food. Nothing was going to be left on the earth. Noah had to pack away enough stuff to prepare for starting civilization from scratch. WAS HE INSANE? Many Bible scholars believe that it had never rained on the earth prior to the Flood. Genesis 2:6 talks about how water came out of the
He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!” Matthew 16:2-3
ground to water the plants on the surface of the land. Noah was preparing for rain (and lots of it) at a time when rain had never happened. I’m sure his neighbors all thought he was insane and so it is with many of us who prepare for future calamities, especially unprecedented ones. GOD DIDN’T DO IT Note that while God revealed His plans to Noah and instructed him to prepare for disaster, God didn’t do the work for him. Noah had to build the ark. Noah had to gather and store the food. Did God take care of him? Yes He did! But God didn’t do it all for him. Noah had to do the work himself.
“Noah was preparing for rain (and lots of it) at a time when rain had never happened. I’m sure his neighbors all thought he was insane...” And so it is with us today. God gives us impressions and convictions from the circumstances that surround us. And then we have to do the work. IN THE SAME BOAT I’m not saying that God spoke directly to me as He did to Noah, but I believe that God is prompting me through my observation of the signs of the times (Matt. 16:2-3) to get prepared. Since you’re reading this, I suspect that you might be in the same boat, or at least beginning to consider it. My prayer for you is that you would hear God clearly, that you
would take appropriate action at the appropriate time, that you would be thoroughly equipped and trained to be able to thrive through any difficult circumstances that may come your way, and that out of the abundance of God’s provision and your faithful stewardship that you would be able to meet the needs of your family and to be a blessing to many others.
Good News From
West Africa
NOT A TYPO I know you read this headline and think it must be a typographical error. At a time when the media is flooded with - stories about West Africa and the devastating effects on some by the Ebola virus.
THE GOOD NEWS I now want to tell you about a wonderful story that has been developing for the last two years in the West African country of Togo. Just eight hundred miles from the affected villages in Liberia we have been working steadily to develop a sustainable
food producing model that could be implemented in villages all around the world. Two years ago we developed an integrated aquaponics training center in the community of Kaplime. Nine months later we began construction of our first community aquaponic sustainable farm. We have now just completed our year-long observation of this project. We will have more details in our winter Now Magazine edition. But we are very happy to announce that our project has been a success.
“Not only were they able to provide essential nutrients for their community but they were able to financially make a profit...�
ABUNDANCE AMMIDST SCARCITY The African farmers that were trained in our West African training facility have been successful this initial year at producing both fish and vegetables in a sustainable manner. Not only were they able to provide essential nutrients for their community but they were able to financially make a profit by selling the harvest in the local market. We are excited about the potential of this solution and look forward to sharing more with you in the months to come.
Aquaponics Morning Star Fishermen, Mote Marine
Labrotories, The University of South Florida, and The University of Florida have collaborated to design, build and reasearch the first large scale salt water aquaponics syatem. Although there is a lot of interest in salt water aquaponics, there are very few examples where marine fish and edible plants have been produced. This project will develop and evaluate the performance of a prototype marine aquaponics system for a marine fish (red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus), an edible sea vegetable (sea purselane), and salacornia. View of bio-reactor and grow beds
Interns propogating the saltwater plants
Red drum fish that grows in our saltwater aquaponic system
Goals and Objectives • Design, construct and evaluate the performance of a prototype, integrated marine aquaponics system • Produce 1,500 fingerling fish to be stocked in the aquaponics system • Produce market size fish and sea vegetables in the prototype marine aquaponics system and test market products at local farmers markets and through seafood wholesalers • Quantify changes in chemical composition associated with marine aquaponics system • Identify the mechanisms of nitrogen and phosphorus removal using process engineering models • Disseminate project results in aquaponics training courses We will keep you posted as this project continues to develop.
Salicornia, one of the edible saltwater plants in our system
Sea-purslane, another saltwater edible plant growing in our system
Energy From Fish Waste?
Micro bio-reactor at USF used to research methane production from fish waste THE FUTURE OF FISH WASTE In 2014 Morning Star Fishermen and the University of South Florida collaborated on a project to research the potential biogas production from fish waste. This project will conclude next year with a public presentation of our results. CAN THIS BENIFIT ME? Our motivation to participate in this project is to better equip MSF “to help others help themselves”. So you may be thinking, “How can this research help me?” BIO-GAS USED BY MILLIONS Home biogas has been around for thousands of years and it was used for heating bath-water in Assyria in the 10th century and in Persia during the 16th century AD. Marco Polo wrote of ‘covered sewage ponds’, and the use of biogas goes back 2,000-3,000 years in Chinese literature. So we can see that home biogas is not something new around the house. Biogas is currently being
The cheapest energy is the energy you don’t use in the first place.
used by millions of people as a fuel for cooking and lighting in many countries. Just in China alone, there are over 42 million households using biogas. The beauty of a home unit is that instead of some big company providing you with gas, you are in charge of your own energy production. WHAT IS IT? So what is biogas? It is a combustible gas mixture comprising around 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide that is formed when organic materials, such as animal (and human) dung or vegetable matter are broken down by microbiological activity at warm temperatures in an anaerobic environment.
“Can I make bio-gas at home?” MULTIPLE USES A small home biogas unit in an urban or city environment can produce useful amounts of biogas from just a 1Kg or so of organic waste per day. If your family lives in a rural setting, you might have access to even more organic biomass and you will produce considerable amounts of home biogas with the potential to heat all your water and power your whole living area. The bi-product of this process is an organic fertilizer that can be directly applied to your garden.
Are You Prepared?
WHAT’S YOUR PLAN? Imagine having no electrical power for months! You have no lights and no way to get water for yourself, your family, or livestock. What would you do? The reality of the situation is that you could find yourself in a mess in a hurry! SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS Solar energy can be harnessed by the advanced technology of today’s solar panels. These panels come in various watts and sizes to make water pumping and lighting kits affordable and reliable for the consumer. Solar lighting kits take up little room, can provide light for up to six hours and may be used with a motion detector to provide light at
just the right time. These convenient systems are easily stored and can put your mind at ease, knowing you are ready for such a situation. Dependable, submersible well pumping systems have been used for decades now and can ensure your family and livestock have the water they need to survive. HELP US HELP YOU Now is the time to prepare for an emergency situation. Make the call today and let us help you design a water pumping system that will safely provide drinking water and ensure your health and survival.
For more info email phil@morningstarfishermen.org or call (352) 523-2722
9 Tips to Reduce Your Heating Bill Replace weatherstripping. Some weatherstripping needs to be replaced every few years because of wear. Replacing it is typically as simple as pulling off the old and tacking on the new. Adjust Door Thresholds. If you can see daylight under your door then loosen the screws on the threshold to raise it and fill the gap. Don’t raise it too high or your door will drag and weardown the weatherstripping.
Eliminate drafts around outlets. Remove the cover plates and fill small gaps around the boxes with acrylic latex caulk. For large gaps, use foam sealant. Then place a foam gasket over the outlet or switch and replace the cover plate. The gaskets cost about $1.10 for a two-pack. Fill holes. Pipes, gas lines, electrical cables oh my! Seal the gaps with expanding foam. For water pipes under the sink, unscrew and pull back the escutcheon ring, then caulk around the pipe. Use a portable heater. You can save 3 percent on your heating costs for every degree below 70 F that you turn down the furnace, according to utility company Pepco. The savings from reducing the furnace temperature should offset the cost of using the space heater and then some. Cover windows with plastic film. Windows account for 25 percent of heat loss in homes, just by using the plastic film, you’re going to save about 14 percent on your heating bill. You can find it for about $6 at home centers. It’s simple to put on and won’t harm your trim, and in the spring the film comes off easily. Seal off chimeny. Chimeny ballons are available on amazon.com for about $50. They can save you up to $100 a year, so they’re going to pay for themselves twice a year. Blow up the balloon and stick it in the chimney. If you forget to take it out before you start a fire, the balloon automatically deflates Insulate the Attic Door. To ensure that the door blocks airflow, use adhesive to attach fiberglass batt insulation to the attic side of the door. And if the door won’t lie flat, use a latch bolt system to close it tight.
Install a Programmable Thermostat. The U.S. Department of Energy says that you can knock 10 percent off your yearly heating and cooling expenses by turning the thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day. You can purchase one for about $25 and program the temperature to be lower while you’re at work or sleeping. Credited to popularmechanics.com
INGREDIENTS 2-3 potatoes - peeled and diced 2 carrots - peeled and diced 1 large onion - chopped 1 to 1-1/2 cups green beans strings removed and broken in bite sized pieces 2 cups whole kernel corn 1-1/2 lbs. chopped chicken Hot chicken broth The total cost of this recipe is about $10 for 15 pints of homemade soup, which equalls approximately 67 cents per serving!
Canned Chicken Vegetabl e Soup
DIRECTIONS
Use pint sized wide mouth canning jars, they should all be hot and sterilized. Layer the vegetables and chicken in any order you choose then fill with hot broth. Remove the air bubbles by running a butter knife along the inside. Use hot sterilized lids and screw to fingertip tightness. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure for 70 minutes (90 minutes for quarts). After processing, allow pressure to return to zero, remove jars from canner and place on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool and seal. To view more detailed directions visit: canninggranny.blogspot.com Photo credit to myearthgarden.com
1st Annual
Thanks4Giving
Holiday Clebration Event Dust off your island attire or update your island wardrobe (optional) and go tell everyone you know that you are personally inviting them to join us
• Festive live music • Great organic “eats” • Encouraging speakers • Guided facility tours • And much more...
Join us for a fun-filled experience!
Contact us: (352) 523-2722 morningstarfishermen.org msfmail@morningstarfishermen.org
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Novemb er 15th 3-6 pm
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