Diy Algae Farming - The Future Farming Tech.

[ramaduggal]

Guys (and gals if any),

I stumbled across this interview with Dr. Aaron Baum while browsing the web, and went on to take a look at his web site www.algaelab.org.

Dr. Baum is .... well you can read his blog pointed to at the web site named above. The long and short is that the more I read on the topic of Algae farming, the stronger my interest grew. Aaron is running workshops on DIY Algae farming in the US, where he also provides a DIY kit to get started. Hailed as the "linux of Algae farming", the technology developed by him over years is apparently being "open-sourced" in pursuit of his goal of developing a worldwide community of Algae farmers - this being the sustainable farming method of the future to produce food, bio-fuel and fertilizer without depleting huge areas of fertile land.

Aaron responded to my email suggesting a workshop in Bangkok with enthusiasm, and here I am, writing this post to gauge how much interest there might be in Thailand, to attend a on-day workshop by Aaron Baum, sometime in end-Jan to early Feb 2011 (exact date TBD) at the cost of about US$100 - 150 depending on how many participants I can gather.

Depending on the response, this may go ahead during the said period, so could you all please cast your comments saying whether interested ?

I am also helping Aaron organise this at the Thailand end, although I am not in Thailand yet, hope to be there before the workshop. Am looking for a simple classroom with 20-30 chairs and a projection screen. Hotels are too expensive, need to get this done in a tight budget, as per Dr. Baum's expressed wishes. Any help, pointers in this direction will be received with gratitude. A school class room etc. to be rented for a day would be fine.

[IsaanAussie]

Hi Rama,

Welcome to the forum.

I could suggest jokingly that you save the expense and just come visit me. At this time of year any damp concrete surface is covered in algae automatically let alone the green water pond near the pig sty that blooms every sunny day.

But to assist I would suggest you do some research into the alternate energy programs here. There has been considerable research done by arms of government and education and supported pilot and test programs undertaken which you may be able to leverage. PTT the state owned fuel company is one possible with a lead role in biofuels, all diesel now containing 2% minimum, usually 5% biodiesel. Further plan is to increase that to 10%. The Asian Institute of Technology and many Universities may well offer assistance as well. You could see a venue supplied and a larger audience given appropriate course fees.

Isaan Aussie

[ramaduggal]

Hi Rama,

Welcome to the forum.

I could suggest jokingly that you save the expense and just come visit me. At this time of year any damp concrete surface is covered in algae automatically let alone the green water pond near the pig sty that blooms every sunny day.

But to assist I would suggest you do some research into the alternate energy programs here. There has been considerable research done by arms of government and education and supported pilot and test programs undertaken which you may be able to leverage. PTT the state owned fuel company is one possible with a lead role in biofuels, all diesel now containing 2% minimum, usually 5% biodiesel. Further plan is to increase that to 10%. The Asian Institute of Technology and many Universities may well offer assistance as well. You could see a venue supplied and a larger audience given appropriate course fees.

Isaan Aussie

Hi Isaan Aussie,

Thanks.

I am currently working as an IT techo, just quit my full-time job in Dubai and will be in Thailand in mid-Jan. Looking at a number of ideas to generate some income stream in a fun way (can't retire yet). Once in, I will look into all these avenues that you are suggesting.

My knowledge on the subject is limited at present. I understand this is about spirulina and some facts as presented on the algaelab dot org web site :

• can be grown in salt water ... creating all the products we need by eating greenhouse gases and waste water.
• it can grow 100x faster than conventional crops.
• world's first community algae lab
  for the development of open-source, DIY-oriented algae technology

To quote verbatim from Aaron's web site,

" ....

Whether you are looking for a job in the exploding algae biofuels field, or thinking about creating your own farm, we can help you get up to speed!

We have created an independent, non-profit algae laboratory for teaching and research using low-cost, widely-available materials, and we would love to teach you how! Get on board with this exciting, expanding field that's truly "green"!

..."

From my point of view, more importantly, Aaron seems a genuine bloke, judging by his replies to my emails so far. He is happy to run a workshop in Bangkok on cost basis, if it can pay for his air-fare, hence it is possible to run this at US$100-150 per participant. Rouch arithmetic shows me that if we can gather 30 participants, the cost will move towards the lower side of this range.

I also need to find an economical venue - a classroom with 20-30 chairs. Any place like language school etc willing to hire out a classroom for a Saturday or similar. Unfortunately I am not in Bangkok till mid-Jan. So need help with that.

Please come forth with suggestions, idea, expressions of interest in attending the workshop !!!!!

Cheers

Rama

[IsaanAussie]

Rama,

I respond only because you addressed this to me and I am having a break. Find another thing to occupy your time here. I agree the technology has the potential to be everything it is claimed, but as yet it is at pilot plant level. Since eating the slimey stuff doesnt even rate with me as I have trouble eating the fertiliser fed, glow in the dark, local fish, you will have to look elsewhere for support on that.

On bio-fuels, where I see the future prospects, sorry, three heavily invested and government backed alternatives head the queue. Ethanol, several crop bases, and then biodiesel from firstly Palm and then Jatropia. You may get some interest from government or educational arenas, always in search of some new "Big Face" idea, but thats about it.

If you want to organise a serious conference then get in contact with Asia Business Forum in Bangkok or head office in Singapore. For a free venue, try Lumpini Park, the muscle builders will listen

.

Thats me on this one, I have got an 18 hour a day job already that doesnt pay the bills.

Isaan Aussie

[IsaanAussie]

Actually as an idea that just occurred to me. If you can make some sort of disgusting slimey goo that makes your skin white from this <deleted>, then mate you will make a fortune here. Thais wont touch gooey stuff, let alone eat it, but they will spread just about anything on their faces in search of the brillant white dream.

[yotspeed]

From a quick Google search seems that Algae farming (Spirulina) is quite well established in Thailand already and for quite a few years.

DIC commenced in Thailand 1978

Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods fame) visits Boonsom Farm

Boonsom Farm CM

From the Wikipedia web site it seems Thailand is listed as one of the largest producers along with the US.

So I guess there is a potential?? MIL owns / runs a small shop right across the road from a junior school and one of the biggest sellers is the (Japanese style) Seaweed Snacks - so there's an idea.

But IA certainly hit the nail on the head with the 'whitening cream' if you can turn into that it's the Holy Grail for sure

[ramaduggal]

From a quick Google search seems that Algae farming (Spirulina) is quite well established in Thailand already and for quite a few years.

DIC commenced in Thailand 1978

Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods fame) visits Boonsom Farm

Boonsom Farm CM

From the Wikipedia web site it seems Thailand is listed as one of the largest producers along with the US.

So I guess there is a potential?? MIL owns / runs a small shop right across the road from a junior school and one of the biggest sellers is the (Japanese style) Seaweed Snacks - so there's an idea.

But IA certainly hit the nail on the head with the 'whitening cream' if you can turn into that it's the Holy Grail for sure

I saw that video - can't believe that this guy actually drank the green fluid coming straight out of the pond !! This is an open algae pond as shown in the video, and I thought it could potentially contain some toxic blue-green stuff as well ?

As with any new technology, from what I've read so far on his web site, the commercial implementation of DrFriendly's DIY tech could involve lots of hard work before it starts paying enough to make a living out of it. I've always been a open-source enthusiast and would go for something like this as compared to spending 10's of thousands on buying ready-to-go technical know-how (even if I had that kind of money to invest up front). I find it interesting and engaging as a challenge, and perhaps even contribute to it by experimenting and improving the know-how if I can. His goal of promoting a global algae farmer's community by sharing the know-how openly is something that amplifies my interest, rather than taking something off-the-shelf and running it like a black-box source of income.

Having said that, there must be a good chance of making it commercially viable, and that is what I want to figure out through the workshop. It will help to get some smart heads into the workshop to evaluate the whole thing openly, ask questions and get the answers, and I am trying my best to make up the numbers up to 20-30. I think the cost of US$100 per person for a one day event of this kind is pretty reasonable for something like this. The DIY Algae kits if provided in the workshop would come at additional cost but would be optional, the glass container would have to be organized locally - too bulky to ship from US I guess.

As Isaan Aussie pointed out, I should probably find something else to generate an income in Thailand, but this can be a sort of hobby/interest/experimental venture which may yield results with some amount of work over the next year or two. Might even work as a face whitener - who knows :-)

So if some of you guys reading this rant are of similar thought, please join the workshop.

I should get Dr Baum to post here and perhaps tell us how to register interest in the workshop so that we can count up the numbers and find out soon if this can be done.