Todd Cleckner

Aquaponics is bringing fresh water to the parched realities of small farmers, struggling communities, and consumers. Aquaponics' clever merging of proven agricultural techniques delivers a sustainable, year-round production of fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, herbs, sprouts, and livestock fodder, and has provided small farmers with an invaluable tool which is both profitable and environmentally regenerative. The use of aquaponics greatly reduces the amount of water needed to raise fish and grow produce by traditional methods, while assuring quality and purity in the final consumer product.

Our project: COSAG- Commercial Open-Source Sustainable Aquaponic Greenhouse, will coalesce the expansive knowledge and experience of the industry and our team into a functioning 3,000 sq ft prototype capable of producing 500 pounds of produce, 125 pounds of fish, and 5000+ pounds of sprouts and livestock fodder a week. Our team has over 60 years of experience collectively in fields related to COSAG: hydroponics, greenhouse production, the food supply industry, small scale organic agriculture, open source programming, and sustainable construction. This experience, and that of our partner contributors HAPI and Open Source Ecology, have contributed a great deal of ingenuity to the COSAG project. We have whittled our construction material and start up expenses down to $25 per sq ft: less than half that of comparable off-the-shelf aquaponic greenhouses.

It is Magpie Farm's and HAPI's extreme pleasure to announce plans to release to the public, free of charge, COSAG's complete blueprints, materials list, fabrication and construction tutorials, start-up procedures, operations tutorials, and all future designs, modifications, and research, on the Open Source Ecology website or a similar platform. This freely disseminated information makes 4-season Aquaponics affordable and viable for any farmer, individual, or community. Our mission is one of empowerment: to give individuals and communities with few technical skills the ability to inexpensively source materials for COSAG fabrication. When coupled with community labor (think old-fashioned barn raising), costs can be greatly reduced while encouraging the flourishing of community pride and interdependence.

We see the COSAG as a tool to aid many struggling small farms and communities across America and the globe. This project is economically and environmentally viable, and involves simple operating procedures, industry-tested systems and methods, redundant back-up systems, and ongoing public access to current research and development. We envision strong communities physically and financially investing in the creation of COSAGs in their region in exchange for fresh, local, and organic produce and fish. This investment will facilitate much needed job creation on small farms.

You contribution to this project will directly fund construction of the first COSAG prototype and research facility. This project aims to document, record, and aggregate complete construction and operational COSAG instructions. Using this information, communities and entrepreneurs can affordably construct and operate their own COSAG facility. Once constructed, COSAG prototype results will be diligently recorded, investigating and publicly reporting such things as seasonal profit margins, seed production methods, and ecosystem integration.

The COSAG addresses not just profitability, but sustainability and vitality, helping to revive small farms and struggling communities by providing year-round access to local, fresh, organic produce and fish free from heavy meals and other environmental contaminants. Aquaponics and greenhouse production allow small farms and communities of all sizes to reverse the growing trends of economic and environmental degradation.

Magpie Farm is seeking $54,927 to purchase building materials and start-up stock for the first-ever COSAG prototype. The COSAG's modular design allows builders the freedom to design according to available space, resources, and need. It further allows Magpie Farm to complete individual modules as money is raised, allowing all financial gifts to the to the project to be used with maximum efficiency. The eight modules are as follows:

Magpie Farm has access to used equipment and irrigation stock, which will help us to save on some of our costs. We encourage you to view our detailed materials parts and costs list at Online COSAG Parts List to see how your generous gift will be put into action.

COSAG needs the support of all those who see aquaponics as one of the viable solutions to reversing the growing problems facing our world and next generations. At Magpie Farm we embrace the fact that our government and financial institutions no longer can financially support the growing innovations like COSAG, that have the potential to change the economic, health, environmental. and social issues we now have compacting on our planet and country. Magpie Farm believes that you the consumer, the free thinker, and the social entrepreneur will be the financial source of many dynamic projects such as COSAG that will bring a better tomorrow to the next generations. We encourage you to join the growing crowd of individuals making small and large gifts to our project and others that are making positive changes for the future generations. One big help to our project that all can do is let the world know this incredible tool is on its way by sharing this campaign!

For more information on the COSAG Project and Magpie Farm please visit our web site www.magpiefarmnm.com/. Our YouTube site has lots of information on aquaponics and the issues and solutions that Magpie Farm takes as causes and uses. Please visit to learn and be inspired! http://www.youtube.com/MagpieFarmNM