Aquaponics. . .

What is aquaponics? We get asked that a lot. If you ask Jeremy, he can tell you all the official words that describe how when the fish excrete ammonia it changes through a biological process from nitrites to nitrates. If you ask me, I’ll simply tell you the fish poop and that provides the nutrients necessary for the plants to grow.

The reality is that aquaponics is a reliable, sustainable, healthy way to grow more produce utilizing less space. Not only can we grow more, but the system is enclosed meaning that the water is recycled. So we utilize far less water than traditional agriculture.

It’s also extremely all natural. There are a lot of buzz words in our culture about the way in which food is prepared. Is it organic? Is it vegan? Is it gluten free? Well, yes, all of our lettuce is. (If you miss the joke - some of these things don’t even apply.) The reality is that we don’t use pesticide, fertilizer, or any other additive because it would kill the fish. The only thing that enters into our system is fish food and lettuce.

And, yes, I’m talking about a water a lot. We don’t use dirt. We utilize what’s called “Deep Water Culture.” Our lettuce is planted in grow cubes that fit into foam rafts that float on the water. The roots grow down and are immersed into nutrient filled water.

Why have we decided to do this? Our main goal is to hire individuals with special needs. The greenhouse is a controlled environment and the process from seeding, transplanting, and harvesting is extremely repetitive which lends itself well to teaching and grasping.

PLUS, shelf life on our lettuce is easily 3-4 weeks. By being local we cut out travel times that are incurred by grocery stores who are having lettuce shipped in from the Midwest. Aquaponically grown lettuce also seems to last longer and for that we’re thankful!

There’s more information on our website and online about Aquaponics. It’s really a fascinating thing.

Have a great weekend!

J&J