Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
To make learning about aquaponics and planning for your aquaponics venture easier, we’ve scheduled our 2012 workshops as well as launched the first hybrid University aquaponics course in partnership with UW-Stevens Point. This partnership brings together the experience and technology of Nelson and Pade, Inc. with a University platform for education.
Nearly every week I see new aquaponics workshops offered by people who have within the last couple of years, or even in some cases, months, jumped into aquaponics. I love their enthusiasm, but enthusiasm is not the same as knowledge. When you read their workshop agenda, it appears as though their courses are similar to ours. So, I guess I am flattered that people are trying to imitate what we do and how we do it. But, the reality is that we are good at what we do because of the experience that we have. I believe there is no better aquaponics workshop than ours because of the in-depth and diverse knowledge that we have to offer.
Here is a link to our company’s history
And a link to our current projects
Nelson and Pade, Inc. workshops are dynamic, fun and have two things that I believe are 100% unique:
1. The wealth of knowledge shared is based on long-term experience in both aquaponics and successful entrepreneurship. It isn’t theory and it isn’t a just-discovered interest.
2. Attendees of Nelson and Pade, Inc. workshops are eligible to earn continuing education units and credits through our partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
When you attend our workshop, you will be presented information based on 20+ years of experience in the three critical areas: aquaponics, controlled environment agriculture and business. No matter what your application, understanding these three areas is critical to your success.
If you attend a workshop taught by backyard gardeners, you will learn about backyard methods that may not scale-up well.
If you attend a workshop taught by research scientists who have never run a business, you will learn about a lot of theory, but not the real life version of running an aquaponic system over the long-term. One in which you have to maximize production, pay your energy bills, make payroll and earn a profit.
If you attend a workshop taught by people who have recently jumped into aquaponics, it will lack in-depth information that can only be acquired through years of actually doing aquaponics, day-in and day-out.
If you attend an urban aquaponics workshop about growing in a warehouse, you will be presented a lot of neat concepts, but will not have one example of a successful warehouse aquaponics project, because as of now, there is not one that stands on its own based on profit instead of grants and donations.
I think a lot of these new aquaponics startups offering training and consulting think they see an easy path to money…jumping on the aquaponics band wagon. But the bottom line is it takes an enormous amount of energy, integrity and know-how to offer quality, comprehensive workshops. People will continue to copy Nelson and Pade, Inc. but we will always have what the others don’t…long term experience in running and developing aquaponics systems and offering training, consulting and tech support. If you want experience, honesty and quality, then give us a call.