Fascinating article in IEEE Spectrum on aquaponics, which is a sustainable food production method that combines aquaculture (in this case, raising fish in tanks) with growing plants.
Aquaponics creates a sustainable, synergistic food growing system. Fish waste from the fish tanks feeds the plants. The plants also clean and filter the water, which is then returned to the fish tanks.
Making this even cooler, aquaponics farms are starting to sprout up in old warehouses and industrial buildings in the upper midwest. Key quote from article:
The concept seems especially appealing in the upper Midwest of the United States, which has a surfeit of abandoned industrial buildings, a short growing season for high-value, highly perishable crops like arugula, baby lettuces, herbs, and microgreens, and an overburdened Great Lakes fishery. Large indoor aquaponics farms such as The Plant and FarmedHere in Chicago and Sweet Water Organics in Milwaukee have sprung up in the last five years.
Aquaponics taps into the growing demand for local, organic and fresh food. It also potentially takes advantage of the large number of empty industrial buildings and warehouses that exist in many major American cities.
While the economics are not yet fully proven, it's an exciting addition to the small farm and urban farm scene.
The video below provides a short introduction to aquaponics.
There's even an aquaponics trade association, which has more information on this growing field (very bad pun intended).
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