The Bowling Green University greenhouse is going aquaponic as they strive to become a more sustainable campus, according to this BG Falcon Media article. A university biology instructor started the aquaponics system, along with two students, when he started teaching at the campus in 2016. Although the tank is limited in scale at this point, there are goals to turn the system into a full-scale venture, eventually selling yellow perch, shrimp and vegetables like kale, spinach and tomatoes.

An article in The New Indian Express tells the story of how the General Hospital of Kochi, on the southwest coast of India, is using aquaponics (with guppies) and hydroponics to grow their own produce. The staff wanted to serve at least one meal a day using vegetables grown on their premises and so far they’ve had six harvests.

 

A coalition of residents in this Minneapolis neighborhood wants to turn city land at the Roof Depot site close to the Midtown Greenway into aquaponics farms, affordable housing and a neighborhood-run bike shop and cafe. Renderings of the potential site are available in this StarTribune article.

Aquaponics are on the rise, even amongst the college competition set. According to The Tartan, the winner of the Ford C3 – Ford’s College Community Challenge mobility-themed competition – was “The Aquaponics Project,” a startup company that raises aquatic animal and plants in a single, small environment. For their win, the company received $10,000 and a Ford Transit Connect passenger van.

Sustainably sourced agriculture might be all the rage, but in some places it’s more of a necessity than a trend. In many locales, a lack of arable land has farmers turning to innovative farming methods like aquaponics which might just be the future of food.

INMED Partnerships for Children fights hunger and creates economic opportunities for small farmers and communities through its Adaptive Agriculture Program. At the heart of the program is one of our favorite topics – aquaponics. Food Tank spoke with Kristen Callahan, Director of International Programs for INMED Partnerships for Children, about their program.

According to farmer and writer Tamar Haspel, “There’s the organic ethos, and then there’s the USDA organic certification program, and they’re not the same. One is about farming ecologically, and the other is about making money by farming ecologically.” The difference has been highlighted by the recent NOSB decision to not exclude hydroponic and aquaponic farming from organic certification.

Sustainable Harversters, an aquaponics farm in Houston, Texas that produces 7,000 heads of lettuce per week with a staff of two people and 2,000 tilapia, kept producing lettuce throughout Hurricane Harvey. Their set-up keeps crops safe from floods, rain, wind and even pests.

A new article in the Washington Post details the reaction of some soil farmers to yesterday’s National Organic Standards  Board decision to not exclude hydroponic and aquaponic farming methods from organic certification.

Yesterday, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) voted to allow hydroponic and aquaponic production to be certified under organic standards. Marianne Cufone issued the following statement:

“We’re very pleased that the NOSB made the right decision by voting not to prohibit hydroponic and aquaponic farms from USDA Organic certification…By siding with current science and recognizing that existing law purposely leaves the door open for various farming methods, the NOSB is sending a critical message that sustainability and innovation are valuable in U.S. agriculture.”