Grace Sylke

1) Sustainable food production company 2) Startup company 3) Photography business 4) Brainwave training institute

1) National 2) International 3) National 4) National

Aquaponics systems; Aquaponics gardening; Marketing; Web design; Packaging design; Logos; Brainwave neurofeedback training; Photography

1) Sustainable food production technology that combines aquaculture and hydroponics; Information, services and products for aquaponics gardeners and schools; Free instructions for creating and maintaining aquaponics systems; Food Forever™ growing systems in a wide range of sizes; Aquaponics and gardening accessories, including pH meters, dissolved oxygen meters, air and water pumps, dechlorinators, tilapia fish food, automatic fish feeders, aquaponic system components, seeds, seed start kits, trellis netting, unique food preparation items, and countertop automatic sprouters 2) Advocacy to bring aquaponics into the world of commercial food production 3) Fine art; Digital photography; Photo collages; Greeting cards; Digital prints in various sizes; Giclees 4) Brainwave biofeedback training

Organic Gardening; Agriculture.com; The Wall Street Journal; Digital Photo

Reading; Bike riding; Working out at the gym; Playing pool volleyball; Tennis; Movies

Bachelor of Arts in English, Minor in Business, San Francisco State University; Certificate of Completion, Sacred Contract Course, CMED; Certificate of Completion, Reconnective Healing Course

American Farmland Trust; National Society of Newspaper Columnists; California Women for Agriculture; The Transition Movement; American Preppers Network; Brainwave Neurofeedback Trainer,

Agriculture

11/14/2011

The highlights of her career include selling the first Food Forever™ growing system, which was very exciting, even though it was sold to someone she knew: her boss at The Biocybernaut Institute. Another highlight she remembers is watching her first crop of plants grow so quickly. She and her partner planted a little bit of everything and had great success, despite never having gardened before. She also fondly recalls eating the vegetables they grew for the first time. She was amazed that she had planted these seeds and watched them turn into delicious food.

Reverend, Universal Life Church

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She attributes her success to being a multidimensional person, who is multitalented. She has boundless energy and enjoys being involved in projects. Life without a project would be boring for this Renaissance woman, who was born with enough talent to fill three lifetimes.

She became involved in her profession in aquaponics when Lehman Brothers fell, signaling the beginning of the economic crash in the U.S. This prompted her to learn how to grow her own food, something she had never done before. Because she lives in the desert, she knew she would have to use an unusual method, such as hydroponics, to ensure she could grow food year-round. After researching hydroponics on the Internet, she discovered aquaponics. Almost immediately, she recognized aquaponics as the food-growing technology of the future, and it was her answer for growing food for herself and her family. Ms. Sylke has been in a love affair with aquaponics ever since, and she convinced her partner, Oliver Duffy, an aerospace engineer, to look into it. He also recognized its potential and decided to design and build an aquaponics systems for the greenhouse they constructed together. By the time the greenhouse was completed and the aquaponics system was designed and built, it became clear to both Ms. Sylke and Mr. Duffy that this could be the basis of a viable business; Aquaponics USA was born. Within a couple of months, they were discovered by Mike King, their current partner in Aquaponics Earth. Ms. Sylke became involved in photography many years ago when everything she looked at was a photograph, a rather strange phenomena that she ignored a first. However, it soon became clear that she needed to purchase a camera and start taking the pictures she was seeing. She has always said: "Photography chose me. I didn't choose photography. I'll always be a photographer. That's just a part of who I am."

Completely organic and pesticide free, aquaponics combines aquaculture and hydroponics. An aquaponics gardener raises both fish and vegetables in a cross-linked system that recirculates water, using 90 percent less water than traditional gardening. The Food Forever™ growing system helps individuals become more food independent through raising both protein, in the form of fish, and vegetables year-round. These systems are being used in schools throughout the country. They offer a myriad of teaching opportunities in several disciplines, including science, biology, culinary arts and language. Aquaponics USA is focusing its attention on marketing through the Internet and partnering with like-minded companies to spread the word about aquaponics gardening. Aquaponics Earth is a sister company of Aquaponics USA, and it is seeking funding to build its first 20,000 square-foot biostation in the high desert of California. The motto of this organization is, “Food is the new gold of the 21st century.” Aquaponics Earth is eager to share its business plans and investment explanation with accredited investors, and the company welcomes inquiries at: advisor@aquaponicsearth.com. Ms. Sylke is responsible for having written the “Aquaponics Earth Business Plan” and “Information for Investors” articles. In order to meet Ms. Sylke and learn more about Aquaponics USA, visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/AquaponicsUSA and http://www.aquaponicsusa.com. Learn more about the work of Aquaponics Earth by visiting: http://www.aquaponicsearth.com. Ms. Sylke is in the process of building a website for Through the Eyes of Grace, and information about her artwork will soon be available at: http://www.throughtheeyesofgrace.com. Lastly, find out more about brainwave neurofeedback through The Biocybernaut Institute’s website: http://www.biocybernaut.com.

1) Managing Web, logo and packaging design; Maintaining the website; Editing Aquaponics USA Food & Health News; Writing press releases, blog articles, and Twitter and Facebook posts; Developing PowerPoint presentations to educate the public on aquaponics; Using Internet marketing to promote the Aquaponics USA Food Forever™ growing systems 2) Researching and developing future marketing plans for Aquaponics Earth; Maintaining the website; Seeking new ways to bring information about aquaponics to U.S. schools and households 3) Uploading raw photos to Aperture; Using Adobe Photoshop to edit photographs; Printing, mounting, matting and framing photographs in preparation for sales; Marketing photographs online 4) Leading seven-day intensive training sessions with clients to raise their alpha brainwaves; Assisting trainees in accessing their hidden negative feelings in order to heal them and help them reach forgiveness, the door to personal freedom; Teaching clients to recognize the machinations of their egos, which they seek to diminish in favor of their higher selves; Aiding trainees in interpreting and understanding their mood scales and alpha brainwave scores; Conducting intensive interviews; Giving feedback; Helping trainees understand their neurofeedback experiences so that they may acquire a greater understanding of themselves and others

Certified Brainwave Neurofeedback Trainer, The Biocybernaut Institute; Lifetime Teaching Credential, State of California; Ministry Credential

Best Screenplay Award for "Return of the Raven," Native American Film Festival (2002)

In five years, Ms. Sylke hopes to have her commercial company, Aquaponics Earth, fully funded and in operation, selling wholesome, healthy leafy greens and tilapia to health food store chains, such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. She hopes to make the company’s unique brand well known and sought after because it is both healthy and delicious. She would also like to see many more Aquaponics USA Food Forever™ growing systems in schools across the U.S., teaching students how to grow food and maintain an aquaponics system.