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Former Steel Site To See Aquaponics Facility
To the complex problems of the City of Duquesne and the Mon Valley, entrepreneur Glenn Ford offers a solution that is both down-to-earth and very fishy
RICH LORD
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
NOV 11, 2019 rlord@post-gazette.com
To the complex problems of the City of Duquesne and the Mon Valley, entrepreneur Glenn Ford offers a solution that is both down-to-earth and very fishy.
Mr. Ford, of Minneapolis, is the founder of InCity Farms, and on Friday he revealed plans for a 180,000-square-foot aquaponics facility on 25 riverfront acres in Duquesne. Backed by the social impact investors Hollymead Capital, the nonprofit Food 21 and an opportunity zone fund, with Peoples Natural Gas as its chief cheerleader, freshly sprouted InCity Farms is in the process of finding a headquarters in Pittsburgh. Its planned $30 million Duquesne facility is expected to employ 130 — starting salaries around $35,000 — potentially expanding to 275.
“We will try to hire as many of these people as we can from Duquesne and the surrounding area,” Mr. Ford said. “We’re going to take 25 [acres] and we’re going to turn that into, if you will, a little metropolis of food businesses there.”
“I think it could be the starting point for the revitalization of the city of Duquesne and the [Mon Valley] region,” Duquesne Mayor Nickole Nesby said.
Grown-up solutions to combat child poverty
In aquaponics, edible fish are raised in clean, indoor pools, and sold commercially. The waste the fish produce is filtered and treated with beneficial bacteria, and the result is used to fertilize vegetable plants.
The plants are grown indoors in optimal temperature, humidity and light. The technique can support the rapid growth of some 800 vegetable varieties year-round, Mr. Ford said. Add the fish, and you’ve got an economically viable business that also cushions against the food shocks created by global warming.
Both technologically sophisticated and labor-intensive, the field “can be the very first job that someone has, and it can also be [an opportunity for] your Ph.D. with a whole lot of experience,” he said.
Raised in Chicago, Mr. Ford worked his way up to the executive level in Pepsico before leaving to create several food-related companies and to consult for many more. He created a pilot aquaponics site in Minneapolis.
Then he got a call from Pittsburgh.
Peoples spokesman Barry Kukovich had read about aquaponics in National Geographic magazine and introduced the concept to Peoples CEO Morgan O’Brien. They saw the indoor food industry as a potential customer for a natural gas system called Combined Heat and Power, or CHP, in which the fuel is converted to electricity on-site — and as a way to help the local economy.
“We’re interested in the ripple effect of creating more jobs, more employment,” Mr. Kukovich said.
They reached out to Hollymead Capital’s managing partner, Joseph Bute, who happened to know Mr. Ford.
“Morgan [O’Brien] said, ‘I want this here, and I don’t want to waste a lot of time looking for the perfect solution,’” Mr. Bute recounted.
That doesn’t mean Duquesne isn’t the perfect solution.
It has large amounts of vacant land, much owned by the nonprofit Regional Industrial Development Corp. The city has a population of 5,500, of which more than one-third (including around 750 kids) are in poverty.
The entry-level, living-wage jobs would be “outstanding, to a community where you have a large group of people, one, with a learning disability, and two, with a criminal background,” Duquesne Mayor Nikole Nesby said.
A child of a modest Chicago neighborhood, Mr. Ford understands that situation.
“In my DNA, I know that people need scenarios where they can work their way out of their circumstances,” he said. “That’s what I want my business to be known for.”
He said 75% of the initial jobs require only that the applicant be “reliable and trainable.”
Low-income communities, he said, often suffer from a negative “balance of trade” because they sell little to the wider world and buy goods and foods that are made far away.
“Until we can start to balance that out a little bit better, we create permanent dysfunction, permanent ghettos, permanent poverty,” he said.
He said aquaponics can restore some balance, letting those communities buy food grown nearby, and giving them a product to sell to the world.
A nonprofit called Food21, created last year will help to coordinate InCity Farms’ growing plans with those of local farmers. That way they won’t be competing to sell the same vegetables at the same time. Instead, they can coordinate to meet a buyer’s needs year-round — for instance, providing traditionally grown tomatoes in summer, and aquaponics product in the winter.
InCity Farms is scouting for other sites, likely including Erie, Pa. But Duquesne comes first.
Mr. Ford said he has an agreement with RIDC to purchase 25 acres of the former Duquesne Steel Works site. He is looking for a public subsidy only for an amphitheater that he hopes will make the site a riverfront destination.
“This is the start of something meaningful and beautiful,” Ms. Nesby said.
Rich Lord: rlord@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1542.
US (PA): State-Funded Aquaponics Lab Teaches Students About Science And Leadership
West Shore School District students led Governor Tom Wolf on a tour of a new aquaponics lab at Cedar Cliff High School. Funded with a $250,000 grant awarded by the Wolf administration, the new lab provides hands-on learning for students across the school district to develop skills in science, business, and leadership
West Shore School District students led Governor Tom Wolf on a tour of a new aquaponics lab at Cedar Cliff High School. Funded with a $250,000 grant awarded by the Wolf administration, the new lab provides hands-on learning for students across the school district to develop skills in science, business and leadership.
“This new lab goes beyond teaching students about aquaculture and hydroponics to creating opportunities to learn about leadership, technology, and marketing,” said Governor Wolf. “This is another example of the workforce development strategies my administration is supporting to prepare future generations with the knowledge and skills to succeed and make Pennsylvania an attractive place for growing and emerging industries to do business.”
The indoor lab constructed at the high school last summer combines conventional aquaculture, such as raising fish and other aquatic animals in tanks, and hydroponics, the production of plants in water rather than soil, into a symbiotic system used to grow fish, fruits, vegetables, feedstock, and other plant products all year.
Students from all 14 West Shore School District schools will use the lab to learn about plant propagation, food production, and hydroponic plant growth. High school students are also using the lab for research in plant lighting manipulation, propagation techniques, crop rotation studies, and fish breeding and rearing practices.
The aquaponics lab was one of 16 projects that received a total of $3.5 million in Strategic Innovation grants from the Department of Labor & Industry. The grants are awarded through Local Workforce Development Boards.
“The Aquaponics Lab at Cedar Cliff High School is a catalyst for district-wide STEAM experiences and hands-on learning opportunities,” said West Shore School District Superintendent Dr. Todd Stoltz. “The investment made by the Department of Labor & Industry in our students’ future extends beyond aquaponics. We now have a variety of opportunities available not only to those students interested in a career in science, but also communications, education, technology, marketing, and finance. The impact this program is having on students individually and collectively, and in our local community, perhaps even global community, is a great source of district pride.”
Investing in science and technology education is a priority for Governor Wolf. In addition to Strategic Innovation Grants, the governor launched the PAsmart workforce development initiative and secured $70 million over two years. PAsmart is providing $40 million for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning and computer science programs, and $30 million for apprenticeships and job training programs.
Pennsylvania now ranks second in the nation for investments in computer science education and is third in the number of nationally recognized STEM ecosystems.
For more information:
www.governor.pa.gov
Publication date: Thu 14 Nov 2019
Data Analytics: The Newest Tool of Aquaponic Agriculture
Colleges across the country are looking for creative ways to give students hands-on, real-world experience using technology to solve problems. It makes sense: Proficiency in this area is one of the most in-demand skills in the workforce
The University of Connecticut taps Splunk to improve operations at a student-run farm.
Calvin Hennick is a freelance journalist who specializes in business and technology writing. He is a contributor to the CDW family of technology magazines.
Colleges across the country are looking for creative ways to give students hands-on, real-world experience using technology to solve problems. It makes sense: Proficiency in this area is one of the most in-demand skills in the workforce.
Jonathan Moore, academic director of the management information systems program at the University of Connecticut, developed a program that teaches data analytics and, in a unique twist, lets students hone their skills by helping fellow students.
Previously, Moore ran the school’s student IT help desk, working with undergraduates who provided technical support to students for campus technologies such as email, software, wireless connections and learning management systems.
Today, Moore’s students are using data analytics to support peers in another academic program at UConn. The initiative is illustrative of how far analytics use cases have come in just the past few years — and the ways in which vendors like Splunk are making their tools accessible and intuitive enough to be used not just by data scientists but also by learners still finding their footing in IT.
“It’s giving students relevant skills, moving the needle on curriculum and academia, and breaking down academic siloes,” Moore said in an interview with EdTech at Splunk’s recent .conf19 conference in Las Vegas.
UConn Business School Workshops Focus on Emerging Tech
Several years ago, Moore launched a program at the University of Connecticut School of Business called OPIM Innovate (the moniker refers to the school’s operations, information and decisions department). The program aims to give students experience with new, business-changing technologies, including augmented reality, 3D printing, the Internet of Things, microcontrollers and data analytics.
OPIM Innovate started as a series of workshops, where students came to nosh on free pizza while learning about topics in IT and business. Over time, the school began developing pilot — and then permanent — classes based on popular workshops.
That’s how UConn’s MIS students came to use data analytics to help support an aquaponics facility at the school. The aquaponics greenhouse is part of Spring Valley Student Farm, which sits 5 miles from the main campus and fosters student learning around environmental and sustainability issues. (It also grows organic produce for use in the school’s dining facilities.)
Hydroponics is the cultivation of plants in water, while aquaponics involves the rearing of aquatic animals in a hydroponic environment. The idea is that plants will use nitrogen-rich fish waste products as fertilizer. However, when the facility first opened, students didn’t see the positive agriculture outcomes they were expecting, and the farm turned to MIS students to bring data analytics to bear on the problem.
Ryan O’Connor, a Splunk engineer and adjunct faculty member at the school, designed a class project that used sensors and Splunk software to monitor conditions at the aquaponics facility. The program was supported by Splunk4Good, which donates millions of dollars each year in software licenses, training, support and education to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions around the world.
Connected Sensors and Analytics Software Track Farm Metrics
Over the summer, before the class started, Moore and O’Connor put the infrastructure in place to support analytics, expanding wireless connectivity at the farm and building a prototype system to track metrics. Then, once the class started, MIS students began collecting, monitoring and analyzing data from IoT sensors to provide real-time insights on metrics such as pH balance, water temperature, water quality and UV light.
The students quickly pinpointed simple problems affecting the facility’s success. For one, the greenhouse got colder at night than previously thought. Also, students were leaving the door open when they weren’t supposed to, which allowed animals to get in overnight and damage the plants.
O’Connor noted that Splunk allows students to crunch months’ worth of data in less than a second. But, perhaps just as important, the Splunk AR mobile tool lets students see real-time metrics on their smartphones.
“It’s great for instantaneous readings,” said O’Connor. In a typical aquaponics setup, he notes, students would have to take time to individually measure and record different metrics — using a variety of tools to measure, say, temperature and pH balance. “But if you have sensors already in there, and they’re sending the data to Splunk, that’s saving a lot of time.”
GUTER/GETTY IMAGES
ACTION ALERT: Tell Congress To Support USDA Urban / Innovative Ag Office
By the end of this week (Friday, Nov 15) please call or email your two senators and one representative and ask them to Support the new USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
(Bella Vita Farm, Brookeville, MD)
By the end of this week (Friday, Nov 15) please call or email your two senators and one representative and ask them to Support the new USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production.
In the next week or two, Congress will decide whether or not to fund the USDA’s new Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. The Office was created by the 2018 Farm Bill but still needs to be funded.
This new Office is intended to be the USDA’s central hub to handle aquaponics, hydroponics, vertical growing, and other new growing methods. It will coordinate matters for these growers and offer new research and funding opportunities. (See Summary)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1 – Identify your two federal senators and one federal representative.
2 – Find the phone number of their Washington, DC office on their website.
3 – Call each Office and ask to speak to the staff member that handles agriculture policy. [You may not get to speak to the staff, they may ask you to leave a message or give you an email address. Wherever you land, use the message below.]
4 – Tell them you’d like the Senator / Representative to Support the new USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production created by the 2018 Farm Bill. If you’re feeling chatty you can tell them what you do and why you think your work is important.
Thanks for supporting urban and innovative agriculture, future generations will thank you!
Brian Filipowich, Chairman
Aquaponics Association
Urban Rooftop Farming Is Becoming More Than Just A Trend In Singapore
Whether you’re wandering through a residential area or exploring the recently re-opened Funan mall, you may have noticed new urban farms sprouting up—flourishing with fruit, herbs and vegetables, occasionally tilapia inconspicuously swimming in an aquaponics system
October 29, 2019
Call It A Social Movement or Singapore’s Solution To Sustainable
Self-Sufficiency, But Urban Farming In Our Garden City Is Growing To
New Heights
Whether you’re wandering through a residential area or exploring the recently re-opened Funan mall, you may have noticed new urban farms sprouting up—flourishing with fruit, herbs, and vegetables, occasionally tilapia inconspicuously swimming in an aquaponics system.
Urban farming has become quite a bit more than a fad or innovation showcase for our garden city. “The practice of urban farming has picked up in scale and sophistication globally in recent years,” said an Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) spokesperson.
“In Singapore, we encourage innovative urban farming approaches such as rooftop farming, which optimizes land, introduces more greenery into the built environment, and potentially enhances our food supply resilience.”
Several companies have taken on the gargantuan task of cultivating the urban farming scene here. Rooftop farming pioneer, Comcrop (short for Community Crop), has been hard at work with its latest commercial farm, an 11-month-old greenhouse in Woodlands Loop. Edible Garden City (EGC) has more than 200 farms across the island and works closely with restaurants to ensure sustainable supply and demand.
(CNA Luxury: How Singapore’s restaurateurs are rising to the challenges of sustainability)
Indoor micro-greens being grown at Noka. (Image: Noka)
Citiponics has made a name for itself building water-efficient aqua organic “growing towers” that can be used to build anything from butterhead lettuce to sweet basil. In April this year, they opened the first commercial farm on the rooftop of a multi-story car park. The farm produces vegetables sold at the Ang Mo Kio Hub outlet of NTUC FairPrice under the brand, LeafWell.
Sky Greens is arguably the most impressive urban farming venture. It is the world’s first low carbon, hydraulic driven vertical farm, and has been recognized globally for its sustainability innovation.
There are several benefits to having our farms so close to home. Through community gardens or access to commercial-scale farm produce, the public has an opportunity to understand how food is grown.
As urban farmers take great care to ensure produce is pesticide-free, while incorporating sustainable zero-waste and energy-saving practices, there is also comfort in knowing where the food comes from and its impact on the environment.
(CNA Luxury: Why this Michelin star chef spends so much time on Singapore farms)
Mushrooms fruiting in a chamber at Noka. (Image: Noka)
“Having food production within the city or heartland [also] brings food closer to the consumers as it cuts transport costs and carbon emissions, and may improve environmental sustainability,” said a spokesperson from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), the new statutory board created in April this year to develop the food supply and industry.
However, there are also broader concerns of the impact of climate change and food security in Singapore. It is why much is being done by the likes of the SFA to achieve “30 by 30”—“which is to develop the capability and capacity of our agri-food industry to produce 30 percent of Singapore’s nutritional needs by 2030,” said the SFA. “Local production will help mitigate our reliance on imports and serve as a buffer during supply disruptions to import sources.”
Singapore still has a long way to go as the urban farming scene is still a very young one. But there are opportunities for growth given the continued development here. In the URA’s latest phase of the Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises (LUSH) 3.0 scheme, “developers of commercial and hotel buildings located in high footfall areas can propose rooftop farms to meet landscape replacement requirements.”
Naturally, developers are taking advantage of this. One of the newest kids on the block is the urban rooftop farm run by EGC for new Japanese restaurant, Noka by Open Farm Community at Funan. Noka is putting its money on offering Japanese cuisine that infuses local ingredients, from the butterfly blue pea to the ulam raja flower—ingredients grown and tended to, by the farmers at EGC’s 5,000 sqft urban garden just outside Noka’s windows.
(CNA Luxury: Is green the new glam? How tiny, rich Monaco is tackling sustainable tourism)
Woha Architects’ edible sky garden, at the firm's office in 29 Hongkong Street, is a test bed for urban farming techniques. (Image: Woha Architects)
“The urban farming space is still in the emerging stages of development,” said Bjorn Low, co-founder of EGC. “We are literally scratching the surface of what’s possible. The areas of growth are in the application of urban food production in urban design and city planning, the use of urban farms for deeper community engagement and the role urban farms plays in creating a social and environmental impact in the city.”
While many farmers have found ways to convert existing rooftop spaces into farms or gardens, Jonathan Choe, associate at Woha Architects, says that one of the greatest opportunities to advance urban farming in Singapore is to build an entirely integrated system that not only incorporates growing spaces but also how these farms can interact with the entire building infrastructure—from building cooling measures to water recycling and energy management. The firm, which has their own testbed rooftop garden, is currently working on the upcoming Punggol Digital District development.
Dwarf bok choy being grown at Woha Architects’ edible sky garden. (Image: Woha Architects)
But the greatest challenge for urban farmers is truly economies of scale. “Agriculture on its own is already a challenging industry due to industrialization of farming and our food system,” said Low. “Scale is a limiting factor in the city, and urban farming business models need to be able to adapt to both the challenges of a globalized food system and the availability of cheap food, whilst operating in areas of high cost and overheads.”
It begins with cultivating an awareness of and demand for local produce amongst both consumers and businesses alike. For Cynthia Chua, co-founder of Spa Esprit Group—the people behind Noka—taking an interest in agriculture is more than necessary, as it will have long-term benefits in preparing for the future generation of Singaporeans.
A harvest of white radishes from Woha Architects' edible sky garden. (Image: Woha Architects)
Restaurants like Noka, which choose to highlight local produce are an easy way in for consumers to learn about the benefits of supporting local farming businesses. As a business owner, Chua has also noticed that “travelling chefs from different countries are gaining interest in playing with our tropical produce.” In Chua’s opinion, it is the “right timing” to push innovation and continue to turn this “scene” into a fully sustainable industry.
“As a city-state, the general population is disconnected from farming and the way food is being farmed,” said Low. “Urban farms should become touchpoints for us to learn about sustainable agriculture techniques, and encourage consumers in Singapore to eat more responsibly, locally and ethically.”
Access is a collaboration between Singapore Tatler and CNA Luxury.
TAGS DIGEST ACCESS SUSTAINABILITY URBAN FARMING FARM TO TABLE
Vertical Farming Bootcamp
Want to learn more about Vertical Farming, Aquaponics and the technology behind it? Do you have a business model in mind and need to learn the components to execute it? Were you unable to attend last time? Now is your chance! Sign up for our Vertical Farming Bootcamp
Our VERTICAL FARMING BOOTCAMP is BACK!
We Are Excited To Announce Our Second Vertical Farming Bootcamp In Partnership With Seneca College!
Want to learn more about Vertical Farming, Aquaponics and the technology behind it?
Do you have a business model in mind and need to learn the components to execute it?
Were you unable to attend last time? Now is your chance!
Sign up for our Vertical Farming Bootcamp!
Date: Saturday, November 23, 2019
Time: 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
Location: Seneca College - Newnham Campus
Click the link to sign up:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/vertical-farming-bootcamp-tickets-73285576131
2019 Aquaponics Food Safety Statement Sign-On
We believe that the aquaponics community must make a positive statement asserting our food safety credentials to ensure that policy and large-scale decisions that affect our future are based on concrete science, not unfounded concerns
Dear Aquaponics Growers,
At the Putting Out Fruits conference last month, we all agreed that it was important for our community to make a positive statement asserting the food safety status of aquaponics. Part of the motivation was that a major food safety certifier, Canada GAP, recently announced it will revoke certification for aquaponic farms in 2020, citing unfounded concerns.
The withdrawal of aquaponics eligibility from this certifier has already set back commercial operations in Canada.
We believe that the aquaponics community must make a positive statement asserting our food safety credentials to ensure that policy and large-scale decisions that affect our future are based on concrete science, not unfounded concerns.
We are collecting signatures on the 2019 Aquaponics Food Safety Statement from farms, research institutions, schools, and other organizations that stand behind it and would like your voice to be heard.
If you would like your farm or organization to sign on, click the link below. The deadline to sign the statement is November 15, 2019. Once we collect all the signatures we will publish and broadcast the statement, and ask you to do the same.
Click here to read the statement and, if you choose, sign on:
2019 Aquaponics Food Safety Statement
Best regards,
Brian Filipowich, Chairman
Aquaponics Association
info@aquaponicsassociation.org
Controlled Environmental Farming Inc. Guarantees Results For Its Urban Farming, Localized, Food Production Model
CEF's guarantee comes in the form of a complete investment refund for all funds applied to the proposed project, funded by the purchaser of a License
Controlled Environmental Farming Inc, (CEF) through its Licensing Business Model, will guarantee economic results for facilities placed in Urban Farming locations. The economic guarantee comes in the form of a minimum operational margin of at least 40%. In many locations, the operating margin will exceed 40%.
CEF's guarantee comes in the form of a complete investment refund for all funds applied to the proposed project, funded by the purchaser of a License. The CEF License program details (see below) can be obtained by contacting CEF at conenvfarm@gmail.com and requesting the document. Costs for the program are quoted on an individual case by case basis.
CEF intends to address the demand for urban farming facilities, providing year-round nutritious quality food at competitive and consistent pricing through the construction of locally positioned controlled environment agricultural facilities. The facilities will cultivate a wide range of fruits, vegetables, herbs, shrimp and fish, individualized for local demographics and demand. The facility engineered as a kit, can be placed anywhere geographically and integrates a variety of renewable resources to control costs while reducing its carbon footprint.
With CEF facilities, product cultivation occurs through a proprietary closed-loop, aquaponics water flow system that uses the benefits of consolidating and intensifying sustainable product growth while eliminating the risk factors that affect product quality, quantity and pricing. Processing and distribution operations are also contained within the facility which has the benefit of streamlining operations and increasing food safety.
Controlled Environmental Farming Inc.
Licensing and Consulting Operations
Ag Firm Signs Electric Works Lease Muncie Business Uses Fish Waste As Plant Fertilizer
This is the second tenant announcement for Electric Works featuring an agricultural technology company in two weeks. Last week, the developers announced that Sweetwater Urban Farms had signed a lease agreement. Sweetwater Urban Farms uses aeroponic technology to produce nutrient-rich greens and herbs
SHERRY SLATER | The Journal Gazette
A Muncie company that uses fish waste as plant fertilizer has signed a lease for space in Electric Works, officials announced Monday.
Balance Holdings Inc. is a commercial regenerative agriculture technology company that uses 1% of the water needed for traditional farming and less than 20% used in hydroponics, a process of growing plants without soil, officials said.
The company will grow fish and crayfish in tanks. The waste-filled water, which is full of nutrients, is channeled to plants that produce fruits and vegetables. The plants filter the water, which is then cycled back to the fish tanks, creating a closed-loop system with no waste.
Glynn Barber, the company's founder, said that “growing better food is more than just putting a better tomato into the grocery store – it's about growing a better future” for the next generation.
“We believe healthier food produces healthier people, which produce healthier communities – and we see an exciting and unique opportunity for ECSIA to make a profound impact on this community, partnering with healthcare providers and higher education institutions at Electric Works,” Barber said in a statement.
More than 300 varieties of fruits and vegetables have been grown using the company's patented system in Indiana, Texas, and Haiti.
Balance Holdings plans to sell fish, fruits, and vegetables to restaurants in the region and directly to the public at an on-site store in Electric Works.
Jeff Kingsbury, a partner in Electric Works developer RTM Ventures, said the new tenant checks a lot of boxes for the type of businesses RTM is trying to attract.
RTM Ventures, he said in a statement, is looking for “firms that are exploring new technologies and market-based solutions through strategic alliances and creative partnerships with other businesses, as well as healthcare and education institutions.”
“At the same time, (the company's) impact will be felt in the neighborhoods surrounding Electric Works – areas of the city that have struggled with access to healthy food in the past,” Kingsbury added.
This is the second tenant announcement for Electric Works featuring an agricultural technology company in two weeks. Last week, the developers announced that Sweetwater Urban Farms had signed a lease agreement.
Sweetwater Urban Farms uses aeroponic technology to produce nutrient-rich greens and herbs.
Aeroponic systems nourish plants with nothing more than nutrient-laden mist, according to the Modern Farmer website.
Electric Works is a mixed-use district of innovation, energy, and culture, developed as a public/private partnership between RTM Ventures and the city of Fort Wayne. The 39-acre campus just south of downtown is the former location of General Electric.
RTM Ventures plans to convert 1.2 million square feet in 18 historic buildings into space for office, educational, innovation, retail, residential, hotel, and entertainment uses.
US (NM): NMSU To Host Aquaponics Workshop In Albuquerque - November 2, 2019
New Mexico State University’s Extension, in collaboration with Santa Fe Community College and Sanctuary at ABQ, is hosting an introduction to aquaponics workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Bernalillo County Extension 4-H Building, 1500 Menaul Blvd NW in Albuquerque
The increasing awareness of limited land and water resources, coupled with an interest and desire to grow food sustainably, has led people across the country, and here in New Mexico, to look more closely at aquaponics as a strategy to address these issues.
Aquaponics is an integrated food production system that combines aquaculture, the cultivation of aquatic animals, and hydroponics, the growing of plants without soil, in a recirculating system.
New Mexico State University’s Extension, in collaboration with Santa Fe Community College and Sanctuary at ABQ, is hosting an introduction to aquaponics workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Bernalillo County Extension 4-H Building, 1500 Menaul Blvd NW in Albuquerque.
Registration is $40, lunch will be provided. Payment is due by Oct. 25.
Register online here or call 505-243-1386
The workshop is limited to 60 people. A waiting list will be available.
“This workshop will teach people how to set up an aquaponics system, how to grow fish and plants, and the importance of water quality, as well as permits, safety and other unique aspects of an aquaponics growing system,” said John Garlisch, NMSU Extension agricultural agent in Bernalillo County. “A tour of an aquaponics greenhouse will be included.”
Workshop presenters will be Rossana Sallenave, NMSU Extension aquatic ecology specialist; Charlie Shultz, lead faculty in the aquaponics and controlled environmental agriculture program at Santa Fe Community College, and Pedro Cordero Casas, an instructor in the aquaponics program at Santa Fe Community College.
“The fish and plants are cultivated together in a recirculating ecosystem that utilizes natural nitrogen-fixing bacteria to convert fish/aquatic animal waste into plant nutrients,” Sallenave said. “The waste products of the aquaculture system serve as nutrients for the hydroponic system.”
With such a combined recirculating system, there is no need to discard any water, and plants obtain most of their required nutrients without the need of added fertilizers, making it both sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Aquaponics systems require only about one-tenth of the water that would normally be used in traditional agriculture, making such systems particularly attractive in water-scarce regions of the country, such as New Mexico.
“There has been an increased interest in aquaponics in New Mexico,” Sallenave said. “This workshop will provide the participants with a good overview of aquaponics as well as the necessary information that they need to consider prior to undertaking this method of agriculture.”
The afternoon portion of the workshop will include a tour of Sanctuary at ABQ’s greenhouse and aquaponics system, led by its director, Danny Lilly. In addition, there will be demonstrations on how to build a system and how to monitor water quality.
Source: New Mexico State University
Publication date: Tue, 22 Oct 2019
US - Alabama: Auburn University Commercial Aquaponics Workshop - November 11-13, 2019
The Workshop will be held November 11-13, 2019 at the Auburn University E.W. Shell Fisheries Station located at AL-147, Auburn, Al 36830
Auburn University’s Aquaculture and Fisheries Business Institute and School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Science is proud to announce their newest workshop series, which focuses on commercial aquaponics.
Our team of highly successful presenters are planning a jam-packed 3-day schedule of practical information that can be used to implement a successful addition to your existing aquaculture facility or create a completely new operation.
The Workshop will be held November 11-13, 2019 at the Auburn University E.W. Shell Fisheries Station located at AL-147, Auburn, Al 36830.
Registration is limited to the first 30 people so secure your spot early! The registration fee is $1,000 and includes a notebook with speaker presentations, hands-on activities, snack breaks and a USB drive with additional digital content.
The deadline to register is midnight on Oct 31st.
Don’t delay, register today!!!!
https://sfaas.auburn.edu/afbi/aquaponics-workshops/
Auburn University Aquaculture & Fisheries Business Institute | Aquaponics – Workshops
Aquaponic Workshops are offered as a response to the community’s overwhelming interest in aquaponics. Participants will receive detailed instruction on the basics of aquaponics, a tour of the school’s fish and plant greenhouses and guidance on designing and constructing aquaponics systems.
How This Aquaponic Farm Is Transforming Rome’s Dining Scene
A short drive southeast of Rome, four young entrepreneurs are paving the way to a greener dining scene in the Italian capital – with the help of 400 koi fish
September 30, 2019
Livia Hengel Contributor
Travel share stories about travel, culture, food & wine.
The Circle's founders from left: Simone Cofini, Valerio Ciotola, Thomas Marino and Lorenzo Garreffa.
COURTESY OF THE CIRCLE
A short drive southeast of Rome, four young entrepreneurs are paving the way to a greener dining scene in the Italian capital – with the help of 400 koi fish. That’s because the group of friends-turned-business owners are the founders of The Circle Food & Energy Solutions, a farm designed to produce food and energy in the most sustainable and competitive way: through aquaponics.
The Circle grows in a vertical system so plants and aromatic herbs thrive year-round.
COURTESY OF THE CIRCLE
“We began with the idea to resolve concrete problems of scarcity like the lack of land, water and food,” says Thomas Marino, co-founder and director of marketing for The Circle. The farm, in fact, strives to create a positive impact through innovation. “We wanted to use any waste to fuel our production,” he adds.
Aquaponic farming is a circular system of agriculture that uses fish to naturally fertilize the crops, and in turn uses the plants themselves to purify the water, creating a virtuous cycle of growth with little to no waste. This system saves more than 90% of water compared to traditional farming methods, making it an excellent solution in environments with scarce resources like water or arable land. And because crops are grown vertically in greenhouses, the team is able to grow plants and aromatic herbs year-round – without the use of chemicals or pesticides.
The Circle has 400 Japanese koi fish that provide natural fertilizers for the farm's plants.
The four founders of The Circle – Valerio Ciotola, Simone Cofini, Lorenzo Garreffa and Thomas Marino – graduated with degrees in biotechnology, political science and marketing, making them perfectly poised to develop a sustainable agricultural business and communicate its advantages. And at only 27-years-old, they’ve managed to do what many Italians can’t: thrive in an environment notoriously difficult for entrepreneurs.
The Circle has plans to expand its team as it becomes a leader in sustainable food production.
Since it was established in 2017, The Circle has created partnerships with a hundred restaurants in Rome and throughout Italy, providing fresh crops and herbs to celebrated names like Il Pagliaccio (two-Michelin stars), Marco Martini Restaurant (one-Michelin star), Roscioli, Zia and Marzapane. The company’s sustainable ethos and technical expertise undoubtedly first generated interest in The Circle but it’s the farm’s quality products that have helped grow their loyal clientele.
The Circle grows hundreds of micro herbs including baby salad, wild strawberries, stevia and mustard ... [+]
BLIND EYE FACTORY
“The restaurants we work with appreciate the variety and quality of our products,” says Mr. Marino, “And we pride ourselves on customization.” The Circle grows hundreds of plants, vegetables and aromatic herbs and works closely with chefs to create bespoke varieties destined to dress and enhance the plates of their guests. Mustard leaves, red basil, lemon thyme, and edible flowers are just some of the varieties grown in the greenhouse.
The Circle provides kitchen plants and micro herbs for celebrated restaurants like Il Pagliaccio in ... [+]
COURTESY OF IL PAGLIACCIO
The future looks bright for The Circle, which began with just a 1000-square meter greenhouse and recently inaugurated a second structure to meet rising demand. This additional space will allow the farm to triple its production and help reach €500,000 in revenue by the end of the year, establishing it as a leader in the production of sustainable food. The Circle has also been selected as a partner for Innesto, the first carbon-neutral “social housing” project in Italy which will be developed in the coming years along the Scalo Greco Breda railway in Milan.
The Circle recently inaugurated a second greenhouse to meet rising demand.
COURTESY OF THE CIRCLE
“We want to create the first hectare of aquaponics farm in Europe by the end of 2020, championing the most sustainable food production plant on the continent", says Mr. Marino. The company also has plans to expand its technology outside of Europe and work with partners across Africa, South America and Asia.
Follow me on Twitter. Check out my website.Livia Hengel
I'm an Italian-American writer, photographer and culture enthusiast with a penchant for la dolce vita and a severe case of wanderlust. Originally born in Rome, I grew up moving around the world from a young age, fueling my curiosity and igniting my passion for travel. I lived in Washington DC, Peru, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Turkey before returning to Italy in 2010. Today, I strive to offer a fresh perspective on Italy - one that goes beyond the stereotypes and main attractions and provides insight into the cultural nuances of the country. My writing and photography have been published in The Independent, Telegraph Travel, Fodor’s, Time Out and USA Today.
Bruce Carman, CEF: "Urban Farming Is Getting More And More Recognition"
"CEF’s mission is to engineer, construct and operate agricultural facilities that contain the optimum growing environment for the cultivation of locally grown fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, shrimp and fish year-round", says Bruce Carman, owner of CEF
"CEF’s mission is to engineer, construct and operate agricultural facilities that contain the optimum growing environment for the cultivation of locally grown fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, shrimp and fish year-round", says Bruce Carman, owner of CEF.
They intend to address the demand for locally grown, nutritious, quality food at competitive and consistent pricing through the construction of new, patent-pending, organic food production facilities. Each facility, engineered as a kit, can be replicated anywhere geographically and permits the cultivation of a wide range of organically cultivated products.
CEF facilities contain IP cultivation concepts, including software development, that will integrate the most critical aspect of closed-loop aquaponics: nutrient water purification and oxygenation. Product cultivation occurs through a closed-loop, aquaponics water flow system that uses the fish waste to provide nutrients for plant growth. The fish waste is cycled through mechanical and microbial filtering equipment, eventually being dissolved within the nutrient water system. The ability to consolidate and intensify this process, within the controlled environment facility, provides for sustainable water conservation and enhanced cultivation. The facilities are engineered to operate successfully by producing nutritious, quality consistent product, and consistent quantities with affordable pricing, year-round.
Licensing
CEF will License facilities to those who wish to own and operate a CEF facility. License applications are approved on a case by case basis and take into consideration: Financial Capacity, Knowledge of CEF Methods and Systems, Knowledge of Aquaponics, Marketing and Distribution Capacity, Site Location, Demographic Analysis, Human Resource Capacity, and Employee Education.
CEF will work for the owner(s) to develop the facility in the same way it would if it was a CEF facility. This includes demographics, economic analysis, product diversity/demand, distribution, and future expansion capacity. Licensing includes on-going outreach/support with webinars as needed on improvements within the methods and systems, employee education, R&D on products and equipment and market trends. Outreach/support programs are for five years and are renewable.
Currently, SBA 504 and USDA Business & Industry loan programs are available.
Tucson facility progress
CEF's proposed Urban Farm in Tucson, AZ took a step forward with the acceptance of a Purchase Agreement, by both parties, for the land. The proposed facility will be located in downtown Tucson, on E 22nd Street, and will have a footprint of approximately 40K SF.
Internal operations will consist of a closed-loop aquaponics nutrient system that will support the germination, cultivation, harvesting, processing, packaging, and distribution of locally grown fruit, vegetables, herbs, shrimp and fish. Recognition of the need for locally grown food and the Urban Farming Regulations within the City of Tucson made the location possible.
The preliminary schedule is to finish financing and engineering over the next 4 to 5 months and start construction early next year. Food production operations should be starting in late 2020 with product availability in early 2021.
"Placement of Indoor Ag facilities within the city limits of a municipality, Urban Farming, is getting more and more recognition," said Bruce Carman. "It definitely provides greater freshness and affordability to the residents of the local community. That provides tangible value to the area."
Click here for the site plan of the Tucson facility.
For more information:
CEF
218.370.2005
conenvfarm@gmail.com
Commercial Aquaponics Workshop At Auburn University
Are you trying to break into the aquaculture industry or already working in the field and looking to gain additional expertise for career development?
Auburn University’s Aquaculture And Fisheries Business Institute
Will Hold A Commercial Aquaponics Workshop
In Auburn, Alabama From 11-13 November.
24 September 2019
The workshop will include two days of lectures, hands-on activities and a tour at the Aquaponics Greenhouse at the Auburn Fisheries Station. On the third day, there will be a field trip to a commercial aquaponics facility in Birmingham, Alabama. Attendees will have the opportunity to see and hear about commercial aquaponic systems and their operations.
Aquaponic Workshops are offered as a response to the community’s overwhelming interest in aquaponics. Participants will receive detailed instruction on the basics of aquaponics, a tour of the school’s fish and plant greenhouses and guidance on designing and constructing aquaponics systems. No prior skills or training are required.
A combination of aquaculture and hydroponics, aquaponics combines the practice of raising aquatic animals in tanks with the cultivation of plants in water. An aquaponics system utilizes the animals’ waste to nourish the plants, while the plants, in turn, help clean the water.
Presenters include Mr. Huy Tran, Dr. Jesse Chappell, Dr. Terry Hanson, Dr. Fred Petit, and more. Seating is limited to 30 people so please register early.
Please contact David Cline, clinedj@auburn.edu or Amy Stone at Amy@aquaticed.com for more information or visit Auburn University's aquaponics page
Click Here To Register For The Auburn's Workshop
On 11/11-11/13/2019
Fish Poop Keeps Family Farming Together
As he tossed freeze-dried crickets into a pool of eager bluegill, Andrew Mueth explained this was how he and his five brothers could farm together and preserve the 160-year-old Illinois family farm legacy. The family raises a wide variety of lettuce using an aquaponic system that was erected in a decades-old straw storage shed
September 20, 2019
Andrew Mueth and his five brothers use aquaponics to produce lettuce that is sold at farmers markets in the St. Louis, Mo. area.( Sonja Begemann )
As he tossed freeze-dried crickets into a pool of eager bluegill, Andrew Mueth explained this was how he and his five brothers could farm together and preserve the 160-year-old Illinois family farm legacy. The family raises a wide variety of lettuce using an aquaponic system that was erected in decades-old straw storage shed.
“It’s a way we could work together on a family farm and it’s a lot cheaper than getting into row crops,” Mueth says. His family still owns 300 row-crop acres, but they’re rented to other farmers.
From fish poop to food
Because each of the six brothers has a full-time job, they endured late nights and long weekends to convert their shed into a working aquaponics system. One half of the shed serves as a home for the fish, currently, bluegill caught on their farm pond, and the other half a greenhouse.
Each fish "tank" holds 3,500 gallons of water. C: Sonja Begemann
Aquaponics is a combination of fish and plant production using aquaculture and hydroponic systems, according to USDA. The Mueths run fish waste through a multi-part filtration system to save water, extract as much nutrient-filled waste as possible, and convert it into a form that is safe to apply to plants. Too much ammonia, for example, will damage and even kill the plant.
This filtration system processes about 1,000 gallons of fish waste per hour. C: Sonja Begemann
In about three hours the biofiltration system can completely filter the 3,500-gallon fish tank, extracting valuable nutrients along the way. After filtering the waste in its ammonia-rich form, it’s converted to nitrites and then nitrates. Once filtered, the nutrients are added to water that is piped into vertical towers at a rate of 30 gallons per hour.
The brothers harvest two towers each week, or about 900 heads of lettuce. C: Sonja Begemann
After about eight weeks the lettuce is ready to harvest, Mueth says. The family harvests around 900 heads weekly that are sold to local restaurants or at farmer’s markets. The lettuce is sold in pre-mixed bags with multiple varieties to enhance taste and texture.
The concept is simple, but the carryout is tedious. The family put in about 5,000 hours of labor to convert the shed and set up the fish tanks, Mueth says. Altogether it cost less than $100,000, but he admits that the number would be higher if they paid themselves for the labor.
After just one year, so in a few months, the family will be back in the green from their startup costs. “But, we don’t pay ourselves for our work,” he says.
Statista: Global value of Aquaponics
C: Statista
Because they were fished out of a family pond, the only costs associated with the fish is their food. However, they plan to switch fish with the seasons and will soon pay for their newest breed, tilapia.
As for the bluegill?
“I think we’ll have a fish fry,” Mueth says.
US (CO): Podcast About The Park County Farm To School Aquaponics Program
With a USDA Farm to School grant, Rachel turned one of the school’s greenhouses into an aquaponics laboratory
In this podcast, Al Kurki, an agriculture specialist at NCAT’s Rocky Mountain West Regional Office in Butte, Montana, has a conversation with Rachel Jones, Executive Director of Farm to School of Park County.
With a USDA Farm to School grant, Rachel turned one of the school’s greenhouses into an aquaponics laboratory.
Middle- and high-school students of Park County now raise trout and vegetables for food for their schools. In this episode, you’ll hear about the challenges and triumphs using an aquaponics system in a school setting.
Listen To The Podcast Here
Brookwood Teacher Wins National Award From EPA
Carrie Settles Livers is the only teacher in Georgia to be recognized with the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators, which recognizes teachers from kindergarten through 12th grade for using the environment as a context for learning for their students
Brookwood High School science teacher Carrie Settles Livers, right, helps seniors Ellie Schutter, center, and Michael Hopf tend to plants on Thursday at Brookwood High School. Staff Photo: Taylor Denman
Carrie Settles Livers
A Brookwood science teacher who operates an aquaponics lab in her classroom was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency for her innovative approach to teaching environmental science.
Carrie Settles Livers is the only teacher in Georgia to be recognized with the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators, which recognizes teachers from kindergarten through 12th grade for using the environment as a context for learning for their students.
Settles Livers receives a Presidential Award plaque and an award of up to $2,500 to be used to further professional development in environmental education along with a congratulatory letter from a senior official from EPA and the White House. Gwinnett County Public Schools will will also receive up to $2,500 to fund environmental educational activities and programs.
Up to two teachers from each of EPA’s 10 regions, from different states, were selected to receive this award. The White House Council on Environmental Quality in partnership with the EPA aims to honor, support and encourage educators who incorporate environmental education in their classrooms and teaching methods.
In a Natural Resource Management Course, Brookwood students operate an aquaponics lab and harvest the produce with an entrepreneurial mindset. The produce has been produced and sold at events such as the Lilburn Farmers Market to help raise money for other academic experiences.
“Instead of just having a school garden, we decided we want to fuse (Ag-STEM) with the entrepreneur mindset,” she told the Daily Post earlier this year. “I wanted this program to be sustainable to have seed money to feed people year after year.”
During the aquaponics project, her students learn about the importance of sustainable farming practices and how agricultural farming using scientific concepts of genetics, botany, physics, and environmental engineering can help tackle issues that contribute to food deserts in their community.
The course also provides students with examples of career opportunities in environmental science. The National Sales Director from Organic Valley Farms spoke to students about the company’s sustainable business model. The Chief Executive Officer of Hatponics, which produced the equipment for Brookwood’s lab, shared the story of his startup company.
A representative from the University of Georgia’s extension center discussed fall gardening practices, water consulting firm contracted by Gwinnett County spoke about water conservation and the City of Snellville’s Economic Development Advisor spoke about his honey bee farm and concerns of colony collapse disorder.
Settles Livers has also been named to the University of Georgia’s 40 Under 40 list, was a recipient of a Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education and has organized applications for grants to fund Brookwood environmental science projects.
Aquaponic Inventor Neil Whichelow Left To Flounder
Neil Whichelow will have to find a home for scores of trout and tilapia after he was told he would be turfed out of his greenhouse by Plumpton agricultural college
20 August 19
Laurie Churchman @lauriechurchman Reporter
AN INVENTOR who built an aquatic experiment that could “save humanity” has been told to pack his bags – with 70 fertiliser-generating fish.
Neil Whichelow will have to find a home for scores of trout and tilapia after he was told he would be turfed out of his greenhouse by Plumpton agricultural college.
Over the past six years in Brighton’s Stanmer Park, Neil has built a world-leading test bed for aquaponics – a novel, soil-free farming technique that uses waste from fish farming to grow crops.
The doors at Neil’s experimental biome open to a blast of tropical air and the sound of trickling water.
Hundreds of exotic plants grow in clay bead beds propped on top of fish tanks.
Luffa sponges droop from the ceiling. Fairy lights illuminate orange seed-pod lanterns. Trout swim beneath clusters of strawberries. There are yams, goji berries, and spiky bitter gourds.
Water is pumped through a tangle of pipes and tubes, running through the seed beds into a bubbling nitrogen chamber below, and back into tanks.
Neil said: “The brilliance is, the plants clean the water for the fish. There’s no soil, and it’s all pesticide-free. It’s a whole ecosystem under one glass roof.”
On an aquaponic farm, bacteria convert the ammonia in the fish excrement into nitrogen – which is in turn used to feed the plants without the need for soil. It is a radical farming technique that Neil believes could help feed a planet in climate crisis.
But as Plumpton Agricultural College shifts site, Neil will have to dismantle everything he’s worked on. He said: “It’s a tragedy.
“For years now I’ve been working unpaid seven days a week because I believe in this. Others believe in it too. They rely on it.
“Our designs help thousands of people, from hard-pressed farmers to refugees. Using our research, people all over the world can grow food. That’s not bad for a project we started with a £10 fish tank from a car boot sale.”
Today, the greenhouse’s glass panels are being packed up, and Neil is wondering what to do with all the fish.
“I might actually have to stick them in the freezer,” he said. “If we can’t find a new site fast, we’ll have to eat them. It’s a shame because I don’t know how long it will take me to raise this number again.
“The aim was to feed the 5,000. But that’s going to take some thinking through now. I’m hoping we can use this as a chance to expand.”
A spokeswoman for Plumpton College said: “The current campus will no longer exist in the present space, and unfortunately Neil’s project won’t be included in new site.”
USA - Indiana - 'FARMacy' Restaurant/Greenhouse To Launch Here, With Global Hopes
Pending city council rezoning approval and the issuance of building permits, Barber intends to construct a $5 million to $8 million prototype aquaponics greenhouse, restaurant and exercise facility, to be called FARMacy, on West Jackson Street, a block west of the St. Mary's Church
Seth Slabaugh, Muncie Star Sept. 6, 2019
Glynn and Kellie Barber stand in a client's greenhouse in Daleville.
(Photo: Jordan Kartholl/The Star Press)
MUNCIE, Ind. — Glynn Barber, an urban-agriculture entrepreneur, sets a container of ripe, black-cherry heirloom tomatoes on the conference table in his Briarwood Lane office on a recent morning.
"Do me a favor," he says. "Take one of those tomatoes home and set it in a window. Tell me if it rots. I guarantee it will never rot, it won't draw the first gnat, it won't draw fungus, it won't draw mold. It'll dry out, and take almost a year to do it, guaranteed."
Besides being sweet and juicy, he believes the tomatoes taste so clean and pack so many nutrients that it warrants marketing them —and similarly grown produce — as "pharmaceutical grade."
Pending city council rezoning approval and the issuance of building permits, Barber intends to construct a $5 million to $8 million prototype aquaponics greenhouse, restaurant and exercise facility, to be called FARMacy, on West Jackson Street, a block west of the St. Mary's Church.
Barber has patented an aquaponics system — a combination of aquaculture, or raising fish in tanks, and hydroponics, or raising plants in troughs of water — called Environmentally Controlled Sustainable Integrated Agriculture (ECSIA).
The cherry tomatoes used in his demonstration to The Star Press were raised in an ECSIA greenhouse in Daleville doing business as Healthy Life Organics.
Barber's greenhouse systems also are operating in a number of other locations across the country — including one owned by the city of East Chicago; the North Central Indiana Teen Challenge in Elkhart; Wapahani High School; and Urban REAP in Waco, Texas — plus Haiti.
Tomatoes grow year-round inside a Daleville greenhouse. (Photo: Jordan Kartholl/The Star Press)
And Barber has much, much bigger plans.
The Muncie FARMacy is intended to be a model for 50 to 75 more of these facilities to be built across the country over the next three to five years, says another person at the conference table, venture capitalist Peter Florio, of Capital Gains Corp., Palm Harbor, Fla.
"Peter brought 100 percent of the money to the table," Barber said.
"Looking at these products," Florio said of the ECSIA system and related ventures, "I can tell you it's probably a long time before anybody catches up with the technology or innovation. It really is that far ahead. It's so far advanced and run so efficiently that it's not close to the realm of traditional aquaponics. We think it's huge. We see it as a global market."
Peter Florio, Palm Harbor, Fla., is an investor in Glynn and Kellie Barber's planned aquaponics chain. (Photo: Seth Slabaugh, The Star Press)
Capital Gains Corp. says it is planning an initial investment of $200 million. The company is associated with Barclay Group, a real estate firm with the same Palm Harbor street address as Capital Gains. Barclay Group's name appears on FARMacy architectural drawings by EMPAD Architecture, Clearwater, Fla.
► Daleville aquaponics startup grows powerhouse food
The FARMacy facility in Muncie would include a juice bar and The Blue Crayz restaurant with seating for 67 patrons; two research labs; a commercial kitchen for locally made food products like barbecue sauce; an exercise center with patented, low-impact machines; and a 9,000-square-feet aquaponics greenhouse, to contain about four fish tanks, 90 troughs and 450 growing trays.
"To help us tell our story, the restaurant name, The Blue Crayz, was chosen as spin from the fresh water lobster, also known as the Australian red claw crayfish, that is grown in our system underneath the floating plants," said another person at the conference table, Barber's wife Kellie. "It is also one of our mascot cartoon characters used in the educational materials and coloring books for children."
An architectural rendition of the proposed FARMacy facility in Muncie. (Photo: Photo provided)
The restaurant will offer salad blends using greens for healthy diets targeting individual health concerns, such as diabetes, hypertension, and gastrointestinal disorders, she said.
"We also will offer several healthy, chemical-free protein options to add to salads … With the nutrient-dense, intense-flavored produce we grow, we guarantee you won’t have a tasteless salad from our restaurant," she went on.
Glynn Barber gives a demonstration, piling leafy greens onto a scale on the conference-room table. "Two ounces is a lot of greens," he says, as it takes him a couple of handfuls to tip the scale at two ounces.
The FARMacy will include a drive-thru window where Barber envisions customers picking up two-ounce salads of healthy fruits and vegetables prescribed by doctors.
"This product will keep for weeks," Barber said. "The shelf life on our product is fantastic, the reason being it is so nutrient dense it doesn't rot or draw pests. We are growing pharmacy-grade food. We are not out to compete with the big-box stores. We're literally looking at food-prescription-type programs."
The salads won't include lettuce. It's not nutrient-dense enough.
The Healthy Life Organics ESCIA greenhouse in Daleville, for example, grows produce that ranks high on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list of "powerhouse fruits and vegetables," including watercress (No. 1), chard (No. 3), chives (No. 14), kale (No. 15), arugula (No. 18), tomatoes (No. 27), and strawberries (No. 30).
A Daleville-based aquaponic greenhouse grows a variety of vegetables year-round. (Photo: Jordan Kartholl/The Star Press)
Longevity spinach, turnip greens and beets are among many other crops Barber's systems are growing.
Powerhouse foods are strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk on the basis of 17 nutrients of public health importance, such as fiber, protein and vitamins A, B-12 and C.
"We are targeting disease with fruits and vegetables," Barber said, holding up a copy of the book "Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself."
Barber has approached a major heath insurance company about coverage for "prescription food." He's also working with local doctors and faculty at Ball State University.
Glynn and Kellie Barber are growing food to fight disease. (Photo: Seth Slabaugh, The Star Press)
"I am a huge advocate for this food production system and believe it can transform communities," Scott Truex, an associate professor of urban planning at Ball State and co-founder of the Sustainable Communities Institute, told The Star Press. "All of these projects integrate the ECSIA system with other value-adding objectives that we believe will allow a community to create a new food eco-system that is a catalyst for change."
The institute believes that food, water, and energy are the triggers to transform a community.
"When a community must depend on systems that can fail at any moment, its members are vulnerable," the institute says. "Systems must be developed that maximize resources and build wealth for the local economy, rather than outsourcing the resources to Wall Street."
► BSU students build mobile greenhouse
Here's how the ESCIA system works: fish waste is mineralized to make nutrient-rich water that flows into troughs where plants float in growing trays. Freshwater lobsters, aka crayfish, eat the dead ends on the plant roots. Plant-filtered water flows back to the fish tank, fresh and clean, after going through a water-polishing system.
Barber says FARMacy's 9,000-square-feet aquaponics greenhouse — much larger than the "satellite" or "family farmer" greenhouses like the ones at Wapahani, East Chicago and Elkhart — can replicate a 40-acre farm field while using less water than a family of four, while operating on only 22 amps of power.
Members of a Gary church visits the Teen Challenge ECSIA greenhouse in Elkhart. (Photo: Photo provided)
The FARMacy's "farmer's commercial" greenhouse module is designed to grow up to 3,600 pounds of produce weekly, along with 4,800 pounds of yellow perch annually.
"That's a lot of salad," Barber said. "We don't mention a lot about aquaculture because we don't grow enough fish to make a dent. The fish are just a nutrient source for us. We're much like a pet store. We're not breeding fish, not raising fish, we are feeding fish and mineralizing that fish waste to grow fruits and vegetables."
The IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital Foundation will ask city council at its Sept. 9 meeting to approve a change in zoning to allow construction of the FARMacy project in the 2500 blocks of West Jackson/Main streets, south of BMH. The foundation owns the property, which is mostly vacant lots used for storage.
"We are excited to lease the land for a project which has the potential to improve access to fresh produce, forge community partnerships and provide a mechanism for health education and research," physician Jeff Bird, president of the hospital, told The Star Press.
A Daleville-based aquaponic greenhouse grows a variety of vegetables year-round. (Photo: Jordan Kartholl/The Star Press)
The rezoning request ran into some opposition when it was introduced at the council's August meeting.
Heavy-equipment operator and unsuccessful city council candidate Audie Barber (no relation to Glynn Barber), warned council that "if you open it up for a fish farm, then you've got to open it up for a pig farm, a dairy farm … We are opening ourselves up to bringing farms inside the city limits. Chicken farms. The next thing you know, Tyson will want to put up a big grow house over here for their chickens."
Attorney Maura J. Hoff, representing the hospital foundation, responded that city ordinance prohibits industrial livestock farms like Audie Barber was talking about. She provided council little information about the project.
Council President Doug Marshall and councilman Jerry Dishman voted against introduction of the the rezoning ordinance, but seven other council members approved it.
► Funny farmer makes headlines
When The Star Press first wrote about Barber's ECSIA system, in 2014, there were literally hundreds of people designing and building their own aquaponics systems, ranging from a fish tank with herbs in the kitchen to small systems capable of supplying farmers markets or local restaurants.
At the time, Laura Tiu, aquaculture extension specialist at Ohio State University, told the newspaper, "I've yet to see a large, commercial-scale operation. We've not yet seen a model system that is economically proven that can be replicated. I believe that this is what Glynn, as well as many others, are trying to achieve."
She compared characterized aquaponics primarily as a hobby. But that was then.
What does Tiu — now a fisheries/aquaculture/marine education extension agent at the University of Florida — say now?
She still remembers Barber, whom she calls "an aquaponics pioneer in the Midwest."
Tiu is now seeing a few commercial-scale aquaponics operations that appear to be profitable, including northeast Florida's Traders Hill Farm, which advertises leafy greens "that grow faster, taste better, last longer and waste nothing." Its customers include grocery stores and restaurants.
As far as a $200 million investment in Barber's venture, Tiu said, "In my experience, just throwing money at something is not what makes it work — careful business planning is. With aquaponics, the ability to access and serve specialty markets seems to be one of the keys.
"I believe that farms located in areas with high demand of organic/natural produce, unique produce, willingness to pay more for produce, will have the best success rate. I still don’t think it’s a cheap way to grow food, but it certainly opens up areas where traditional crop practices are not available."
A Daleville-based aquaponic greenhouse grows a variety of vegetables year-round. (Photo: Jordan Kartholl/The Star Press)
An Air Force veteran and former tool and die maker, Barber exudes confidence, energy and enthusiasm.
After giving The Star Press a 45-minute presentation of his business plan, he asked: "Are you getting the picture? Are you disappointed? Isn't this amazing?"
The components that make up the ECSIA system, such as pumps, clamps, fiberglass and plastic, are all being manufactured in Indiana, including Anderson, Redkey, Eaton, Lafayette, Elkhart and Muncie. A fresh water lobster hatchery is set up in New Castle.
Barber invented the system in his garage in Redkey out of necessity — treating his son's schizophrenia with healthy food — after consulting potheads growing elite marijuana; university researchers; doctors and others.
His business plan includes a partnership with Marion-based Insurance Management Group to provide ECSIA growers insurance coverage, including greenhouse structures, equipment, ECSIA system modules, business income, system breakdowns, off-premise power interruption, liability, and workers compensation.
"We are the only company that has this," Barber said. "We don't make a dime on the insurance, which costs $1,183 a year."
The red claw crayfish is the inspiration for the name of the FARMacy's Blue Crayz restaurant. (Photo: Kellie Barber)
In addition to the proposed chain of FARMacy facilities, Barber has taken steps to construct his first commercial-size ECSIA module in Daleville, with 48 fish tanks, 1,080 troughs and 5,400 grow trays. It is designed to produce up to 45,000 heads of leafy greens, 6,000 pounds of fruiting vegetables and 700 pounds of fish per week.
"We've never built one that big," Barber said. "It will have robotic harvesters and things that we've developed to put there. It will be a big research and development center and a full-blown production center."
Barber says he's also getting ready to build a factory in Daleville to manufacture ECSIA components.
The staff at ECSIA headquarters, doing business in the Lyndenbrook Place office park as Balance Holdings LLC, includes an office manager, an environmental scientist, a marketing manager, and an artist.
A drawing of a freshwater lobster/crayfish that is the namesake of a FARMacy restaurant proposed on West Jackson Street in Muncie (Photo: Seth Slabaugh, The Star Press)
Barber expects each FARMacy facility across the country to attract 10 to 15, easy-to-maintain "satellite" or "co-op growers" using ECSIA technology.
"We will partner with and buy from those satellites but we won't own them," Barber said.
A "satellite greenhouse" similar to the one in Elkhart, managed by an ex-heroin addict, can generate $300,000 to $400,000 in revenue per year at a cost of less than $50,000 a year, according to Barber, who says it takes three men two hours a day to operate the greenhouse.
Anyone with an eighth-grade education can follow the greenhouse's operating manual, which runs a couple of hundred pages long, he added.
Joey Sarver manages the Teen Challenge ECSIA greenhouse in Elkhart. (Photo: Photo provided)
A graduate of the Central High School class of 1986, Barber said he chose to headquarter his venture here because "Muncie was the birthplace of sustainable agriculture with the Ball jar."
Ball Corporation was a manufacturer of glass jars used for home canning of fresh, high quality food.
"This isn't a feel-good thing," Barber says of his undertaking. "This is about the health of a community."
Contact Seth Slabaugh at (765) 213-5834 or seths@muncie.gannett.com
Federal, State, And City Officials Join Project Renewal To Break Ground on Bronx Supportive and Affordable Housing Development Featuring Rooftop Fish And Produce Garden And Living Green Façade
The project will feature a number of unique and innovative elements including a rooftop aquaponics greenhouse, a living green façade, and a community playground
Bedford Green House will house more than 160 residents and include an aquaponics greenhouse, along with other innovative features
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, and TD Bank today joined Project Renewal at a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on Bedford Green House in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx. The $58.8 million, 118-unit development will provide supportive and affordable housing for more than 160 residents, including families, singles, and seniors.
The project will feature a number of unique and innovative elements including a rooftop aquaponics greenhouse, a living green façade, and a community playground. Located at 2865 Creston Avenue, the 13-story, block-and-plank building will meet or exceed LEED Gold standards for energy efficiency and environmentally friendly design.
“We are thrilled to break ground on Bedford Green House, a development that will provide high-quality affordable and supportive housing for hundreds of individuals and families. Throughout our 50-year history, Project Renewal has provided innovative programs to help New Yorkers in need. We will continue to do that at Bedford Green House with comprehensive services and cutting-edge features like aquaponics to ensure that residents can lead healthy, stable lives,” said Mitchell Netburn, President & CEO Project Renewal.
The rooftop greenhouse will be filled with nutritious produce in an innovative vertical farming system called aquaponics, in which residents will raise delicious, nutritious fish and vegetables in a symbiotic ecosystem. Edible tilapia fish will live in large tanks connected to a bio-filter that breaks down fish waste and carries nutrients to the plant roots; meanwhile the plants will clean the water for the fish. Because the aquaponics growing platforms can be stacked vertically, produce yields per square foot will be many times higher than with traditional soil-based farming.
Project Renewal will use the rooftop space outside the greenhouse for organic farming in planter boxes to grow vegetables that are less suited to aquaponics. Residents will work with Project Renewal’s horticultural therapist to grow their own food in the airy and light-filled greenhouse, year-round, alongside their friends and neighbors. Horticultural therapy in the greenhouse will be especially beneficial to elderly residents who can often be isolated at home, and for residents who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is common during winter months.
The rooftop will also feature a demonstration kitchen with healthy cooking classes for residents and community members, taught by professional chefs from Project Renewal’s Culinary Arts Training Program.
Bedford Green House’s active design was influenced by the theory of biophilia—the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms. Scientific studies have supported biophilia, showing that exposure to the natural world reduces stress levels, shortens recovery times for hospital patients, lowers blood pressure, reduces depression, and increases insulin sensitivity among diabetics.
In light of these findings, Bedford Green House will feature an exterior living green façade at the building frontage, featuring vines cascading from planters. In addition to transforming the visual character of the neighborhood, the vines will reduce the building’s energy usage by absorbing solar radiation during the hot summer months when the vines have leaves. During winter months, the vines will shed their leaves and allow solar radiation to warm the building, bringing in heat and light when it is most needed. The vines will also remove airborne pollutants, which is especially important in the Bronx where children are hospitalized by asthma at a rate that is 21 times higher than more affluent areas of New York City.
Bedford Green House will create an inviting streetscape through landscaping along the sidewalk frontage, and seats at the setbacks that will encourage residents and neighbors to engage with the building. Highlighting the front yard will be a colorful community playground—with two slides, jungle gym, and musical instruments—that will be accessible to children of families who live in the building, as well as community residents.
The project is the first phase of the Project Renewal’s larger Bedford Green House project, the second phase of which will add another 116 supportive and affordable homes through the development of an adjacent site.
Bedford Green House’s development team is led by Mitchell Netburn and Sam Wells at Project Renewal, and by Jonathan Rose and Dale White at The Jonathan Rose Companies. Hollister Construction Services is serving as the general contractor. Architectural design services are provided by Edelman Sultan Knox Wood Architects, with structural engineering by Robert Silman Associates, MEP engineering by Allen Rosenthal, geotechnical engineering by Mueser Rutledge, landscape design by Billie Cohen, Ltd., waterproofing and façade design by The Façade Group, lighting by Jim Conti, aquaponics by A&A Epiphany, LEED design by Steven Winter Associates, cost estimating by SBI Consultants, environmental consulting by The Hillmann Group, Sam Schwartz Engineering, Genesis Environmental, surveying by Montrose Surveying, title search by Chicago Title Company, and expediting by Design 2147.
Bedford Green House was financed under HDC’s Extremely Low- and Low-Income Affordability (ELLA) program and HPD’s Supportive Housing New Construction program. The total development cost for the project is over $58.8 million. HDC provided more than $28.2 million in tax-exempt volume cap bonds, $1.7 million in recycled tax-exempt bonds, and nearly $7 million in corporate reserves. HPD provided $8.85 million in City subsidy, inclusive of $2 million in HOME funds. HPD also provided an allocation of annual Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), which generated nearly $24 million in tax credit equity. Bank of America served as tax credit investor and provided the construction letter of credit. NYS OTDA provided $6.22 million under the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP). Additional grant funding was provided TD Bank and Deutsche Bank Foundation.
“Healthy homes lead to healthy residents, a principle that Secretary Carson knows from experience to be true and one that will prove itself for the formerly homeless families and individuals that will call Bedford Green home. Financed in part through $2 million in HUD HOME funds, this extraordinarily designed project will nurture the minds, bodies, and spirits of its clients, helping set them on the path to economic recovery and self-sufficiency,” said Lynne Patton, HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey.
“We are proud to be contributing $6.2 million through our Homeless Housing and Assistance Program. Projects like this highlight Governor Cuomo’s ongoing commitment to increase the number of affordable and supportive housing units available in New York City and throughout the state,” said Samuel D. Roberts, Commissioner, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
“A critical pillar of the Jerome Avenue Neighborhood Plan is creating sustainable, high-quality, affordable housing. The start of construction of Bedford Green House – a LEED designed supportive housing development that will provide 118 homes and a rooftop garden and vertical farm to foster healthy living – represents a significant milestone towards that commitment. Through HNY 2.0, our accelerated and expanded housing plan, we will continue to build on the policies and programs already set in motion to ensure that neighborhoods like those surrounding Jerome Avenue are anchored by affordability and opportunity for generations to come," said HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. “I want to thank Project Renewal and our many government and private partners for their creativity and hard work to advance this dynamic project for the community.”
“Bedford Green House will bring 118 low-income and formerly homeless households into safe, high-quality affordable housing, with a built-in network of critical social services and amenities. This project underscores how vital all our government, private, and non-profit resources are to creating new affordable and supportive housing,” said HDC President Eric Enderlin. “I congratulate Project Renewal and all our partners, including many agencies across federal, state and city government, for their commitments to this project and their dedication to building a more affordable New York.”
"Project Renewal is an exceptional partner committed to solving the homelessness crisis here in New York City. CSH is investing $5.3 million in loans in Bedford Green Phases 1 & 2 because these new affordable, supportive housing units will go a long way toward providing real homes to New Yorkers who have struggled through homelessness on our streets," said Jennifer Trepinski, Director of Loan Originations, CSH.
“In addition to delivering much needed affordable and supportive housing options to the residents of the Bronx, Bedford Green House brings innovative, sustainable design elements that will advance healthy living in the Bedford Park neighborhood. Bank of America Merrill Lynch is excited to have provided over $54MM of debt and equity investments to support Project Renewal’s vision for transforming lives in the communities that it serves,” said Todd A. Gomez, Market Executive - North Region, Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
"We take our commitment to our communities seriously, and the Housing for Everyone campaign enables us to enhance our economic support for the neighborhoods we serve. We are honored to partner with organizations that are providing individuals with a chance to live in their own home and build a future," said Mike Rayder, Donation and Foundation Manager, TD Charitable Foundation.
“Deutsche Bank is proud to support Project Renewal in the development of the Bedford Green House. This will provide critically needed affordable and supportive homes to hundreds of residents, many of whom have experienced homelessness, as well as facilities shared with the local community. Bedford Green House will be a true asset to the neighborhood and city,” said John Kimble, Vice President / Philanthropic Initiatives, Deutsche Bank.
“Architecture at its most fundamental is an expression of societies’ aspirations. In that context Bedford Green House is a statement that we take care of the people of our community who are disadvantaged. These individuals are deserving of an exceptional building that has the capacity to make their lives better, through the choice of layout, materials, amenities, and greenhouse for teaching healthy living. And we extend that aspiration into the community, making a building with a neighborhood play area, a 24-hour doorman watching the street, green infrastructure that will help clean the air and brighten lives, and by leaving exposed the bedrock of the site, which is the history of the Bronx. In this way the building contributes to the neighborhood, making it greener, healthier, and more connected. Bedford Green House is an embodiment of the best that New York City, New York State and the Bronx has to offer its community,” said Andrew B. Knox, Partner, Edelman Sultan Knox Wood / Architects LLP.
“Hollister is very proud to be part of this team bringing to life such a unique building in the Bronx. Knowing that this facility will change the lives of many people makes the project even more special. Since our inception, we’ve made a constant effort to involve ourselves with projects that benefit and transform communities and Bedford Green House is a great example. We are all looking forward to seeing many happy faces when the facility makes its grand opening,” said Christopher Johnson, CEO, Hollister.