New laws to destroy aquponics as we know it?

pjkrentz

I recently heard another aquaponic farmer state there is federal regulation in place that will soon take affect and alter aquaponics at it's foundation. He stated that it would affect commercial growers that sell to restaurants/farmers markets/etc. My guess is he is referring to FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act).

The way he explained the issue was that it would basically make it impossible to have a floating raft setup or even the average gravel/lava rock setup and that now the only way to make it work would be to put plants in soil -> in pots -> in the water. So your setup would be a giant river with hundreds of potted plants in it. The reasoning apparently was that fish water has been deemed unclean by the unknowledgeable public and disease ridden and therefore a "separation" is needed between the fruiting portion of the plant and the water itself.

Can anyone weigh in on this? Or give me a link to the actual legislation/rules/regulations in play here? I've been wanting to setup a small business with aquaponics but if this law is real it essentially kills that dream before it even starts.

:upset:

Charlie

First Ive heard and I find it a little hard to believe.

Yavimaya

anything (stupid) is possible in america.
but it wouldnt help safety as the only problem comes from splashed water and then only if people are irresponsible enough to not wash produce.

Petesake

Hopefully they can't swim or fly!
Pete. :support:

Gunagulla

only in America...

pjkrentz wrote:

The reasoning apparently was that fish water has been deemed unclean by the unknowledgeable public and disease ridden

My fish, and all other fish in the world that I am aware of, swim in water with fish in it, so are fish unclean and disease-ridden too?

Old Prospector

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the most sweeping reform of our food safety laws in more than 70 years, was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. It aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.

FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/

Your getting worked up for nothing, it's another Gov't program to screw with you but is very doable for Aquaponics. Unless you are a Messy, Dirty, grower who doesn't care what you put out to the public.

As to rivers of water, you shoot before you aim. The fact is that you will be able to grow more with less water, BUT only if you correct your Dirty growing habits.

scotty435

Doesn't look that bad to me either but it is a bit to figure out what applies and what doesn't. An AP setup might have some E. coli present but not normally at the levels they mention. Some of the exemptions would let hobby farmer type AP businesses off the hook for compliance. One part actually exempts farm activities - just depends on if the bureaucracy interprets AP operations to be farms (they should but :dontknow:

) .

Yavimaya

Old Pros. posted that it was signed into law in 2011, cant be a problem if ryan and others are still operating with no problems.

scotty435

It was signed into law back then but the first part is just coming into effect (I think it started last month but the different parts are phased in over time).

Yavimaya

oh ok, i took it that once it was law it was implemented.
5 years is a long time to wait.

scotty435

Sure does take a while to get going. Imagine how long appealing some part of this could take :shock:

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