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The Founders of BioPonic Earth, Grace Sylke and Oliver Duffy, have been in this new Agricultural Field since 2009. That's when they debuted their Sister Company to BioPonic Earth, Aquaponics USA, as a Home & School Aquaponics Company featuring small STEM & CTE Teaching & Food Growing Systems. The operative word here is "small".
At BioPonic Earth they're not talking "small". They're talking big or at a minimum of 700 sq. ft. of growing area, which are called Micro Food Forever Farms, and the size goes up from there to large-scale Farms. The Agri-Tech described in the "How A Food Forever Farm System Works" document, available upon the the signing of an NDA, doesn't apply to the small Home & School Systems. They are too small to need it or be able to contain it. Vertical Lettuce Walls will not fit in a Classroom, but they will turn a Lettuce production facility into a dynamic Lettuce and Leafy Green delivery System with a minimum of labor hours and unimaginable harvesting ease. However, Oliver, our retired NASA Engineer, and Keil his right hand System Designer and Greenhouse Manager, are designing a small Vertical Growing System to add to the Aquaponics USA School Systems as an Option.
Oliver is now considered to be an Expert Innovator in the Aquaponics field, and his expertise is sought out by many worldwide. This great Team consists of the Founders and their System Designer/Greenhouse Manager, Keil Plotczyck, who has been Designing Systems, Managing the Greenhouse, Building and Shipping Systems and performing as an incredible multi-talented and hard working Team Mate to bring both Aquaponics USA and BioPonic Earth to prominence. Staci Randall, our Office/Sales Manager for both companies is an invaluable addition to the Team bringing 21st Century Document sharing and creation expertise to the Front Office.
Grace Sylke, is one of the Co-Founders of BioPonic Earth, LLC and Aquaponics USA, LLC. She serves as the Marketing Director for both of their companies and has designed, built and maintained the Aquaponics USA and BioPonic Earth Websites, Newsletters, Community Supported Agriculture Program, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and X pages. She is the face of the Aquaponics USA and BioPonic Earth and has appeared on all the company videos with her natural, educational, unscripted speaking style.
Grace has had previous teaching experience and holds a Lifetime High School Teaching Credential in the State of California. While working as Director of Vocational Services for the Betty Clooney Foundation for Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury, in Long Beach, California, Grace designed and administered the Pre-Vocational Class, oversaw the Job Coaching Team and worked directly with employers like the Home Depot to get her clients trained and hired. There she developed considerable training, managerial and public relations skills and abilities. Ms. Sylke has been working as a Independent Contractor/Trainer for the Biocybernaut Institute Brainwave Neurofeed- back Program and will be closely involved with the construction of a Micro Food Forever Farm at Biocybernaut.
Grace has excellent people and training skills. She has created the 600 Pages of Curriculum Compilaton for Teachers who purchase the Aquaponics USA STEM & CTE Teaching & Food Growing Systems and is preparing the Materials for the Training Module of the BioPonic Earth "Care & Maintenance of a Food Forever Farm" Training Manual.
Oliver Duffy, is the other Co-Founder of BioPonic Earth and Aquaponics USA . He is a retired Aerospace Engineer who has been designing, building and delivering Aquaponics systems for 16 years. His Aquaponics USA STEM & CTE Teaching & Food Growing Systems are in numerous schools and homes around the U.S. He has engineered many improvements on his Aquaponics Deep Media Grow Bed designs used in both Aquaponics USA and BioPonic Earth Grow Beds.
For BioPonic Earth, he recently completed his re-design of standard Deep Water Culture (DWC) Troughs and engineered a very efficient Vertical Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Vertical Growing System that’s capable of doubling the output in any horizontal space. His BioPonic Earth Solid Separation/Biofiltration System coupled with his WET System delivers water so clean it looks like Windexed glass. He has advanced the state of the art of Aquaponics System Engineering & Design far into the future, and is highly regarded in the field.
His experience with electronic systems, fluid dynamics, heating, cooling and solar power is what makes him the perfect person to be the System Engineer of BioPonic Earth Food Forever Farms and Aquaponics USA's Home & School Food Growing Systems. His experience in managing projects and people make him a valuable asset to the BioPonic Earth Team.
Oliver is presently working on an ingenious design. It's a Nutrient Delivery System that by-passes the Fish in an Aquaponics System for those Farmer/Entrepreneurs who don't have space for the Fish Tanks.
Meet The Founders
Let's talk about how you can join the Food Revolution with a Food Forever Farm. Give us a Call at: 760-671-3053. We'll help you grow Food in a Pesticide and GMO-Free Zone!
Grace is standing in front of one of the original Deep Media Grow Beds that was placed in their California Grow Room before this System was removed & replaced with another R&D System. Working with a retired NASA Engineer, means being in R& D a lot of the time.
At the heart of our Food Forever Farms are our 4 ft. x 8 ft. Deep Media Grow Beds. This is where you grow all of your Flowering Vegetables like the Peppers in the foreground and the the Melons in the background. Also available are 4 ft. x 6 ft. Deep Media Grow Beds if space is an issue.
These Grow Beds are made of a powdered polyethylene plastic that is resistant to impacts, most corrosive chemicals and temperature extremes. They are light weight for their size and, therefore, easy to move. Polyethylene is also environmentally friendly and can be recycled.
These Deep Media Grow Beds are a foot deep and filled with expanded clay pebbles called Hydroton. You can use gravel, but we don't recommend it because when it's time to plant into your Beds, the gravel doesn't float making planting and cleaning a major chore.
Oliver, our retired NASA Engineer, has designed the most efficient Deep Media Grow Beds on the market with proven external Loop Siphons for Maximum Unobstructed Planting Area. They have highly efficient Deep Delivery Water Diffusers which keep the top of the Beds clear of Fish effluent. These Grow Beds utilize a perfectly timed Rapid Cycle, are fully Supported and Bottom Insulated. They sit on sturdy Steel Stands with bottom shelves for handy storage.
Now Farmers/Entrpreneurs can grow food in Climate Controlled Greenhouses or Growhouses with LED Grow Lights. Each pair of Grow Beds has its own dedicated 500 gallon Fish Tank that is perfectly balanced according to the important Fish to Water Ratio that makes these Aquaponics Systems work perfectly. There is no need for Pond Liner or fancy ceiling hanging gear becaise you can place a support stake right into the Grow Bed without fear of tearing the Liner.
The Melons in this photo are at the Flowering Stage before they put out their fruit.
The TEAM
Keil Plotczyk joined BioPonic Earth when that company was formed in 2018. He previously joined the Aquaponics USA Team over a decade ago and has been instrumental in the enduring success of that business. He is equally valuable to BioPonic Earth. His work ethic and attention to detail make him both trust worthy and reliable. The job will get done, when Keil is in charge.
Keil is a hard working and uber talented Tradesman with multiple skills all of which he uses as the System Designer/Builder and Greenhouse Manager for both BioPonic Earth & Aquaponics USA.
In 2024, the Team started doing Trade Shows, and Keil demonstrated his versatility by dropping his many Trademan's tools to pick up a Clip Board demonstrating his open, engaging and personable nature as a great Salesman in our Aquaponics Booths. Keil became famous on TikTok in early 2022 when a Video he was featured in went Viral. Click over to our Aquaponics USA TikTok Site to view this Pinned Video with 3 Million Views. This Video is actually about Lettuce Walls that are part of the BioPonic Earth, LLC Agri-Tech.
Staci Randall is the BioPonic Earth & Aquaponics USA Office/Sales Manager. Her knowledge of Google Docs, Google Classroom, Quizlet and several other Collaborative working sites has turned what were slow, disconnected office documents into fast, efficient and easily shared ones. She is a former School Teacher, which makes her the perfect Sales Manager for Aquaponics USA.
If our BioPonic Earth customers need guidance on how to get their Non Disclosure Agreement and their "How A Food Forever Farm System Works" Documents sent to them, Staci's calm, Teacher-like demeanor puts them at ease. Her organizational skills are exceptional, and, like Keil, she easily transitions from her ability to work out of her office into a dynamite Sales Person in our Aquaponics Booths at Trade Shows.
