foodchain
Marine science students at Tates Creek High School are raising largemouth bass and growing vegetables without soil in a new three-level aquaponics station, which recycles water in a sustainable food-production model.
In the simple setup, water from the fish barrel trickles into the grow beds, which routinely drain so the roots get some air and the plants aren’t overly saturated. The water then is pumped back into the barrel of bass.
“Throughout generations, it’s been done. It’s the whole idea of being sustainable and increasing your output with low input,” said teacher Diana Mullins. “In this closed system, the plants are taking less time to grow, so you’ve got a faster turnaround. In six months, the fish will be about plate-size.”
The project is a collaboration with FoodChain, a local nonprofit run by Becca Self.
“The great thing is the fish and the plants have a symbiotic relationship. The fish waste is used by the plants as food, and they filter the water so it’s clean to go back to the fish,” Self said. “It uses less than 10 percent of the water that conventional agriculture uses, so it’s a really environmentally friendly way of producing food.”
The effort began with students building the wooden frame, whichh sits on cinderblocks in a corner of their science lab. They also cut and prepared the three plastic barrels that now house more than a dozen bass, assorted vegetables planted amid small chunks of expanded shale, and a fountain pump.
“It’s a replica of the prototype we have in our facility,” said Self, who previously worked at Seedleaf and has assisted the school’s Generation Green club with other projects. “It’s doable by anybody who takes an interest in it.”
The 55-gallon blue barrels are repurposed, the shale came from a local landscaping company, and the PVC pipe, shop lighting and other materials were easy to find and affordable. In the next month or so, FoodChain will start on a larger, almost commercial-scale model for demonstration purposes. Meanwhile, the Tates Creek students will continue to collect data and maintain their system for the rest of the school year.
Self, a former classroom science teacher, will return periodically to check on the progress.
“Several times throughout the school year, we’ll harvest the plants, enjoy salads together and likely try some new foods together. And then, near the end of the year, the fish will be large enough for harvest. Our plan is to have a meal together celebrating the success of the system and collecting recommendations for how to improve things for the next cycle,” she said. “We fully expect that these students will naturally rise up to become teachers and mentors to the next year’s participants.”