It is widely accepted in today’s society that our planet is over populated and dying from human pollution.  Now that this problem has grown so large in our mainstream society, people and companies as a whole are trying to go greener, as long as it does not affect their profit too much. Many opinions arise from this, about what the next logical step is to help the environment without killing our economy and GDP. Aquaponics, an innovative way to garden greener is a small scale way of dealing with our problem, and it faces similar problems as going green as a whole.

Aquaponics is a self sustainable form of gardening that uses the environments of fish and pants symbiotically. Fish waste fertilizes the plants, and the plants filter the waste from the water for the fish. At first it appears to be a brilliant way of saving resources as the water never has to be poured out or filled back up again. The only thing required is for the fish to be fed. A nearly self sustaining gardening system such as this is a big step towards everyday people going green, and producing healthy food too. The main problem with it however, is its cost and relative size. An aquaponics system costs at least a few thousand dollars to set up and maintain, and it simply takes up too much space for one person to have in areas such as New York City. Now it may even be possible for a large scale aquaponics system to provide all of the nutrients required for people. However, the cost for the average American would be equivalent to many months of food, and the investment would not pay off until the plants are fully grown.

Although aquaponics may be a logical next step for those who can afford it and provide the space needed, it will not be a revolutionary system. Unless government action is taken aquaponics will never be able to affect the life of the ordinary individual due to its two great disadvantages, space, and money.

Andrew Resnick

Aquaponics is a system that combines the seemingly independent practices of cultivating plants in water and raising aquatic life. By taking advantage of the natural symbiotic interactions between the two mini-systems Aquaponics has become a valuable technique to produce food for sustainable living. Although it is a self-sustainable system (for the most part) the effectiveness of Aquaponics as  a larger scale system is largely doubted due to the relatively high startup costs and relatively low food production per square foot.

A question I’ve always had was: why are vegetables and fruits are so much more expensive than fast food from chains like McDonalds? As shown in the documentary Food, Inc. there are families within the United States that make the decision between filling the stomaches of their children, or eating healthy. Since the startup costs of these sustainable systems are so high,to offset them, vendors would likely keep prices for these items at a premium . Besides these startup costs, it is impossible to produce the sheer amount of food equivalent to that of traditional farming techniques. Since the supply would be less, the price of the items would tend to increase. This does not bode well to those that cannot afford these items originally. It does little if anything to improve the situation these people are in on a daily basis.

Just like many previous attempts to promote more sustainable living Aquaponics, although it provides unique benefits, will prove to be insignificant as the majority of America is concerned more with profit margin than environmental consequence. Unfortunately for us, by the time we adapt these innovative systems, it will be too late to make a difference.

Ever since I was young, my parents and relatives have been planting various types of vegetables in the small garden in my backyard. We have grown winter melons, fuzzy squash, zucchinis, and pumpkins. One of my neighbors down the street spend much of her free time in her garden. However, many of these home gardeners, my parents included, have been unaware about the excess amount of various metals in New York City soils, making it dangerous for people to consume the plants or even to be around the soil. Large amounts of lead can be found in many gardens in the city, which poses a problem for young children if they are exposed to it for too long, a likely situation if they are near the gardens. Metals, such as copper and zinc, are toxic for the plants itself. Since many of the gardeners are unaware of such problems, they cannot take action to protect their gardens from attaining high levels of harmful metals. Thus, it is imperative that the community learn and combat this problem. Community gardens are a great way to create safer gardens and progress neighborhoods to eating a healthier lifestyle.

Community gardens in the city allow for gardens to be supervised at a higher level. It is much safer to rely on having more people care for one garden because experienced farmers can create methods to reduce the amount of harmful metals and other toxins in the soil. Gardens in the city may seem useless because supermarkets with fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant. However, many of these “fresh” items become spoiled or rotten through transit, which ranges from about 7 to 14 days to get to the city. Although it seems like there isn’t a lot of space in the city, there are many abandoned, unused lots and areas that can be turned into a garden. In fact, there is an empty range of space on my block that is only used when the MTA are doing construction nearby. Turning empty lots into gardens will create an increase in jobs and provide fresh produce, such as roots plants, leafy greens, and fruits, for the neighborhood. It also reduces the amount of preservatives in the produces, making it better, healthier option than those at the supermarket. Having community gardens throughout the five boroughs allow for everyone to have accessible, healthier foods. It is a cheaper option compared to the organic foods in the supermarket, even affordable to low-income families. Aside from eating healthier foods, community gardens are a way for people to reduce stress and exercise in their free time.

Rather than having individual home gardens, having community gardens may be a benefit for the city. New York City have abandoned lots that can be put to good use to create community gardens, which can benefit the community’s overall physical health.

Sources:

http://www.gardeningmatters.org/sites/default/files/Multiple%20Benefits_2012.pdf

http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/Metals_Urban_Garden_Soils.pdf

Aquaponics has proven to be an effective way of sustaining a family. To be able to use fish waste as a means of growing plant foods seems extraordinary. It promotes good health, with organic vegetables as well as clean, mercury-less fish. As we discussed aquaponics in class, it seemed that an aquaponics garden could work on a small scale well, but a company in Brooklyn, called Edenworks, is showing that it could really work to sustain a large population of people. The company understands that the quality of the food produced is superior to other means of agriculture. The CEO of Edenworks says “Though the premise of mimicking a natural system in a closed environment is ancient new technologies including proprietary software, a complex plumbing system and cost-efficient LED lighting.” The company, based in East Williamsburg, recently entered a commitment to provide Whole foods with microgreens and baby greens. It seems that people now, more than ever, want to know where their food comes from. An aquaponics system is a great opportunity to provide people with the desired information about their food.

Brian Mansour, a well established aquaponics gardener, says that it is about time that New York City develops and begins to sustain its citizens. He says, “It’s just a matter of time before somebody with enough money and the right crew will get together the right model that will work.” It is exciting to see how agriculture is changing. Not only are aquaponic gardens becoming popular, but urban gardening is developing rapidly. So many food co-ops are providing people with healthy food all over the city. Aquaponics just seems to be the next step in this sort of evolution of large scale gardening in New York City.

-Source

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20160410/SMALLBIZ/160409882/once-just-a-hobby-aquaponics-could-be-the-future-for-growing-food-in-new-york-city