Hi Jacky,

>A common problem with people who are trying to design integrated
>biosystems is that they want to copy other people's model on another
>location. You cant. Though the operating sub-systems used may be the
>same in different integrated biosystems, it is important to identify
>your local resources first. If you dont have this clearly outlined, you will
>have problems. Your system must grow from step by step, according
>to what is abundant or available.

what you are saying about local resources is of course absolutely right.
I'm already in the process of locating them, which also refers to the
willingness to transport the matter to our installations. One possibility
might be cow and chicken manure, the latter of which in the future might be
mixed with sawdust, so to reduce odors in the farm. Still so I think that
it is good to have a reference of a working project, and that was the
reason of my interest in the Boys' Town. Copying this example would be
impossible for many reasons, like the different age of the boys, to begin
with. As they are much younger, I wouldn't like to have them near the
fishponds, though I still would like to have these ponds (probably in the
form of aquaponics), but attended by adults and older children.

The interest in cassava was, because behind our lot of land there is a
mountain, which can and needs to be reforested. There is a kind of cassava
which grows in north Mexico, and I'm trying to find out if it could be
cultivated on the slopes of the mountain, as well as serve as a feed
somehow.

Something else we need to know is, if resinous sawdust (pine) is ok for the
cultivation of oyster mushrooms. I'm afraid it might alter it's taste. Also
I'm thinking in plants which produce abundant flowers, so beehives would
make sense, and some other issues which could combine different needs and
opportunities, but well, these issues are a little off-topic.

Uwe