Feed The Fishes & The Fishes Will Feed You
The Benefits of Aquaponic Farming
Teach a man to fish and he will have… well, he will have lots of fish. Teach that same person aquaponics and they will have an abundant supply of fish, vegetables, herbs, and fruit. The best part is, anyone with a fish tank can do it! Aquaponic systems run the gambit from rudimentary setups with plain old fish tanks for growing herbs, to larger ones designed to feed multitudes.
What is Aquaponics?
Aquaponic is a form of sustainable agriculture. While traditional farms crop rotation in order to prevent soil erosion, aquaponics uses water instead of soil. Does that mean we trade mineral depletion from soil for water waste? Certainly not. In fact, closed aquaponic systems use substantially less water than the amount required for traditional soil-based farms. Even better, bacteria like E-coli and listeria are delivered through the soil, and far less likely to effect produce grown in water. Instead of pouring pesticides and fertilizers onto the plants and soil, aquaponic systems use fish to provide the much-needed nutrients.
Simple systems, like an aquarium with minnows or feeder fish, will support the growth of micro greens and herbs. Larger setups will allow the grower to harvest lettuce, greens, tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries, to name just a few. These bigger tanks often house tilapia, cod, and catfish, but that is not all. As a bonus, the larger setups require a sump tank (bucket for water to solid wasted to flow through), which can be used to grow bottom-feeders like crawfish or fresh-water clams.
Anyone Can Do It
The genuine beauty of aquaponics may well lie in its versatility. The systems can be made from virtually any food grade containers, from buckets to swimming pools. This flexibility means apartment dwellers, urban farmers can use them with minimal space allowances, or large farms boasting rows of greenhouses. They can be set up outside in open air, in a room with grow lights, or just about anywhere.
Versatile & Affordable
Alternative farming measures like aquaponics show great promise in the effort to provide nutritious food items to third world countries where shortages are a constant concern. From a more domestic standpoint, aquaponic farms can offer pesticide free, fresh and delicious locally sourced items within their communities. Better still, alternative farmers are not limited to a potentially volatile growing season as they can grow crops year-round in a climate-controlled environment.
This alternative farming option fits most any pocketbook and is available to anyone with the desire to try it out. Do it yourself plans can be found easily and for the less mechanically inclined, full systems can be purchased at a reasonable price. From fish to fruits and vegetables, aquaponic farms offer an array of economic and health benefits, all while remaining ecologically sound. Aquaponics can fill the needs of hobbyists, those seeking to live off the grid, commercial, and urban farmers alike. When it comes to farming methods, aquaponics is certainly one to consider.