Hello everyone! Today we are going to be talking about aquaponics. Here at Green Bridge Growers, we are quite fond of aquaponics as a way to grow food sustainability. At our farm, we have a whole greenhouse dedicated to our aquaponics system that is made up of hundreds of koi fish along with nearly four hundred vertical towers that help us grow crops year-round.

Aquaponics is a sustainable farming system where fish provide nutrients for the growing plants. The system starts off when the fish are fed and in turn, they produce waste in the form of ammonia. Microbes in the system break down the ammonia into nitrates and nitrites which is very nutrient rich for the plants. After this, the water is pumped to provide a constant supply of water to the plants. When the roots take up the fish nutrients, it actually purifies the water which is cycled back to the fish tank. Essentially, aquaponics is a closed loop, self-sustaining system.

Aquaponics is a great method for people to grow their own food by using sustainable and organic farming practices. It is a great choice because a system can be set up anywhere and they can be all different sizes. At the farm, we have a greenhouse that helps us to grow year-round but you can definitely create your own system at home!

Some of the benefits of aquaponics include:

1. Minimal land usage is required for aquaponics compared to conventional farming.
2. No soil is involved which limits the production of weeds and worrying about soil health.
3. Minimal water usage is required since the water used is mostly recycled.
   

Aquaponics is a very popular farming practice among sustainable and organic farmers because the use of fertilizers are not required, and the nutrients comes directly from the fish. When it comes to the types of plants able to be grown, it is important to consider temperature conditions and the time of year. For example, this summer at Green Bridge, we have been planting heat tolerant lettuce varieties to ensure the successful growth of our crops. In addition to the types of crops grown in an aquaponics system, it is important to consider the type of fish used in a system. Different fish can be used for different reasons, and some might have different needs. Some fish such as tilapia and salmon are used so that they themselves can be harvested when they get to a certain size. At Green Bridge we use ornamental koi because they can tolerate the range of temperature conditions that the Midwest offers.

There are many different types of aquaponics systems, some of which you can make at home! There are kits available to purchase or you can even use materials that you have at home. First, you want to consider your size constraints and the climate that your system will be in. Next, you will be able to better understand which crops you can grow and what kind of fish your system needs. There are many helpful sources for DIY aquaponics systems as well as systems available to purchase. I have attached a link below along with some other links with additional information on aquaponics.

https://gogreenaquaponics.com/blogs/news/ultimate-aquaponics-beginners-guide#:~:text=Aquaponics%20is%20a%20combination%20of,create%20an%20effective%20aquaponics%20system

https://fisheries.tamu.edu/aquaponics/

https://www.aquaponicsforbeginners.com/aquaponics-resources-for-beginners/

https://aquaponics.africa/2021/10/07/the-chemistry-behind-aquaponics/

-Keely Charles

At Green Bridge Growers, we're always interested in adding trees to the landscape appropriately because of their impact on mitigating climate change. Researchers at Boston University have found that trees on the outer edge of a forest or wooded area grow faster and differently than trees on the inside of a forest. The ones on the outer edge are able to absorb more carbon dioxide than those on the interior. They also found that soil on the edge of a forest in urban areas can store more CO2 than soil in rural areas.

According to the scientists, these findings indicate the carbon emissions forests take in are underestimated, but may diminish as the effects of climate change become more severe.

According to one of the studies the scientists conducted, trees on the edge of forests grow nearly twice as fast as trees on the interior of the forest, which increases the outer trees’ potential to serve as a carbon sink.

Another study they conducted looked at the soils at the edge of forests, and it found a significant difference between rural and urban soils. In rural areas, the warmer temperatures (compared to the interior of the forest) caused microorganisms to work harder at breaking down organic matter such as leaves, which resulted in more carbon dioxide being released on the outside edge of the forest than on the interior. But in urban areas, the soils on the edge of urban forests didn’t release as much carbon as their equivalents in rural areas. According to the scientists, it’s too hot and dry in urban areas for carbon dioxide-releasing microbes to prosper.

These findings suggest the conservation value of forest fragments should be reassessed.

Urban forests “provide stormwater control, filter air pollution, [and] reduce heat,” among many other benefits. As such, groups like the Indiana Forest Alliance try to convince Indianapolis city leaders to take action to protect Indianapolis’ urban forests.

The IFA recently introduced its “Forests for Indy” strategy for protecting the city’s urban forests, which cover about 59 square miles. According to the IFA, 9 square miles of urban forest are within city property and protected by city ordinances. But the other 50 square miles are privately owned and at risk of being developed. The committee will meet again this month (April 2022) to discuss possible solutions to this problem, to figure out a way for the city council to act to protect existing urban forests as well as plant new ones.

Resources:

-The Nature Conservancy, “How Urban Trees Can Save Lives”

-South Carolina Forestry Commission, “Benefits of Urban Trees”

-Chris Tidmarsh