The potentials of food and how Stanford got it wrong

Foodies all over cyberspace are typing, tweeting, and blogging their fingers off about the results of the “Stanford Organic Study” released earlier this month. Two weeks since New York Times and Fox News broke the story, my facebook feed is still inundated with comments and concerns about what the researchers at Stanford left out and how it will affect the business of organic. While the study claims organic to be no more nutritious that conventional foods, multiple left-minded people, academics and activists alike, from Rodale to Huffington, are questioning the results. Across the Atlantic in the UK, Food Consumer published a story just yesterday breaking down the study, and the researchers, bit by bit (and bite by bite). The consensus of the three biggest mistakes in the Stanford claim seems to be:

1. Other studies have found organic to indeed be more nutritious;
2. While this particular meta-study did not receive any outside funding, that does not mean there is no conflict of interest for Stanford or the researchers;
3. Nutrition is only a small part of the organic story.

I want to focus on the last point, as it aligns with my own interests, personal and professional, in the role food plays in people’s lives. While it is important to closely analyze the motivations and reputations of the researchers at hand, the very premise from which they are working is at fault here. Even if they executed this research perfectly and without bias, the questions they are asking are assuming, limiting, and miss the point.

At a very basic level, food is sustenance. The old adage, “you are what you eat,” is cliché for a reason. In order to have a long and healthy life, one must eat well, consuming a variety of highly nutritious food items. I am not claiming nutrition doesn’t matter, but rather it is not all that matters. Food is also a primary way through which individuals and communities interact with each other and their environment, near and far. Food must not only be healthy for an individual body, but also healthy for the physical and social landscape. Only by meeting all of these conditions can food sourcing be sustainable for an individual’s health and well-being, a community’s economic and social vitality, and an environment’s longevity.

Organic is not the only answer, but it is an important step in reaching the ideal of a completely sustainable food system. Other answers are to decrease the use of genetically modified foods, secure and support local food systems, enforce fair trade and fair working conditions, and encourage growing your own. I have discussed this multi-faceted approach in the past, but it cannot be overstated: food is multi-faceted, and the solutions must be, as well.

When the organic movement began in the 1970s, it also incorporated many of the values of other movements, including local, fair trade, and animal welfare, among others. In order to become certifiable by the US government, it was boiled down to regulate fertilizers and pesticides, but the original conception encapsulated the entire food chain, from farm to plate. It was developed to make you feel good about what you eat and how your actions affect all living things.

This parsing down of organic values has allowed the movement to gain momentum and increased its accessibility to consumers at Wal-mart, which is the largest supplier of groceries in this country. However, this over-simplifying of a social and environmental issue has allowed it to be susceptible to attack. When you only have one leg to stand on, you’re easy to take down.

It is important to understand that food cannot and will not ever be just about one variable, one value, or one volition. Food is nutrition, but it is also nurturing; food is eating, but it is also growing. To isolate only how food is digested in our body ignores how it feeds our souls, how it interacts with our environments.

Food can divide us, but it can also connect us if you allow it to react its full potential.

Eat well to be well,
Elizabeth

Invest in a new kind of capital this fall with green space and fresh access

The back-to-school ads are taking over the airwaves and the last deadlines for my internship in DC are quickly approaching – all signs that the summer is drawing to a close. As we continue to experience record-breaking heat here in the Capital, the approaching fall will come as a welcome reprieve. As much as I’ll miss the crisp, autumn evenings in the Mid-Atlantic, what I am personally looking forward to the most is heading back to Tampa and jumping straight into the growing season. I was lucky enough to get the best of both worlds this year – as the markets close up shop up north, the business is just beginning in the south. And this year I just may be able to get a garden of my own.

What do you gain from time outdoors? It turns out, a lot!

New digs – a new place and a new opportunity for GMO (growing my own – it’s time to reclaim the  acronym) – are waiting for me in Florida. Not a plot, but an empty window box. At least I’ll have access to fresh herbs. Some large pots are in order, too, though tight spaces will make plant selection tough. But that is a rich person problem.

I don’t mean I’m well off financially– graduate school makes my output far exceed my input when it comes to economic capital. But similar to the way money is considered capital, other investments can put you at an advantage and create a class system all on their own. Capital is simply an accumulated stock of wealth – and wealth can be subjectively applied to any asset. Social capital – who you know – can put you at a great advantage in this difficult job market and put you in the right place at the right time. Cultural capital – what you know – is the driving force behind what is currently, financially speaking, a terrible move on my part to continue my education, but fulfills some of my biggest dreams.

Then there’s ecological capital.

In the ecology world, ecological/natural capital is the ability of an ecosystem to sustain itself. However, there is a certain “nature’s currency” that can benefits humans in particular – specifically the health and well-being associated with access to green spaces and fresh surroundings. In my case, the tiny yard outside of my apartment – which is a thousand times more than what many people have access to.

Cities are concrete jungles, but their lack of green space can be bad for your health, not to mention bad for the environment. While we may not all be able to live in a real jungle, the time we spend outdoors, surrounded by nature, can be an investment in ourselves and our future that can stack up to an increase physical, psychological, and social well-being. Green spaces help you better manage stress, increase your health, and even reduce crime. For instance, a hospital room with a natural view has been found to shorten recovery time, improve patient mood, and reduce the request for pain medication. Unfortunately, not all people have the opportunity for even limited access to green spaces, creating a hierarchy of ecological capital.

Sweetwater Organic Community Farm and Market is one of my favorite places in Tampa.

I consider myself a well-established middle class citizen in the nature ladder. I have a small yard, own a bike, and live close to a great park. I volunteer at a local farm. My university has tons of green space. While I worked there, my office did not have a window, but my laptop and the university’s wifi allowed me to work from anywhere – even in the botanical gardens.

I also can’t help but to associate the other benefits of fresh access: fresh food. Even if I can’t grow everything myself, I’m within walking distance to a market and a short drive gives me access to several more. The best ones allow you to experience a little bit of nature while you’re at it, letting you reap twice the benefits.

So this fall, invest in yourself. Take stock of what really matters (your bank account or that tension between your shoulders?).  Evaluate your ecological portfolio. Perhaps take the opportunity to growing something yourself – edible or otherwise – or go visit your local park. Stock up on some green time, 0r some greens, and see how much you can collect.

Eat well to be well,

Elizabeth

Stamp of approval: AWA and Animal Rights

I urge you to visit local farms in your area to know your food, but if you can’t, use third-party verification labels to help you find your way in the food web.

“No matter how short or how long their lives are, they deserve to have the best life possible,” Rhonda Williams of This Lil Piggy Farm told me while we discussed her husbandry practices during a recent farm visit. My visit to her humble adobe where pigs are close to pets was one of my last Food Warrior excursions for RealTimeFarms.com, where I learned about the local food of Tampa Bay and grew the guide to help increase food transparency. More than just a passing trend, food transparency is a way to know your food, near and far, meat and produce. But how can you truly know your food, short of visiting the farm yourself? Farmers, like Rhonda and many others I met along the way, want to communicate their practices to the consumer, but may or may not have an outlet to do so.

Increased food transparency often takes the form of food labeling, offering a way to encourage sustainable and ethical practices and effectively communicate those practices to the consumer . But while “organic” is heavily regulated, communicating a specific practice, other labels are less clear. “Free-range” simple means “allowed access to the outside.” But proper labeling is still a fight that is being fought with governmental regulations. Genetically engineered foods, for instance, are not labeled, despite a national petition with over a million signatures urging the FDA to require the label.

Food and animal activists have begun to fill the gaps in order to increase food transparency even for those who can’t visit the farm. This Lil Piggy Farm, and many other farmers in Florida and across the country, proudly bear the label AWA, or Animal Welfare Approved, as a way to communicate their practices and personal beliefs. This label proves Rhonda’s pigs really do have “the best life possible,” backed by the auditing and certification program organized by the Animal Welfare Institute, a national non-profit established in 1951 with the goal to reduce human-induced animal suffering.

Farmers who earn the AWA seal benefit from having a third-party verification of their high-welfare practices and consumers benefit by knowing that the humane label means what it says.

The AWA certification program has high standards, the highest in the US, and provides the auditing and certification process for the farm and processing facility at NO CHARGE to family farms across the country, even providing tons of FREE marketing treats like pads and pens, but also stickers and even windows clings for restaurants the serve these top-rate goods.

With their product search, you can easily find a certified farm in your area. The program has certified over 400 farmers, 30 CSAs, and even a rancher, with products that can be found at over 250 markets, 500 restaurants, and 700 stores from Florida to Washington State.

Third-party verifiers, like AWA, provide efficient, unbiased, and de-politicized ways to increase food transparency, showing how food warriors are fighting for you every step of the way.

Eat well to be well,

Elizabeth Murray

Produce Storage Tips

Reblogged from Urban Acres:

• 

We know you're spending your hard-earned money on organic and local produce, and you want to eat every last bit!  So we've put together some Produce Storage Tips that will help your produce stay fresher, longer.

General tips:

• Take care of your produce immediately as soon as you bring home your produce share.
• Investing in a salad spinner will be well worth your while,  if you eat greens regularly.

Read more… 575 more words

Great tips on food storage. I need to keep this in a notebook to refer to when people ask me at the farm!

Surviving the Summer in South Florida

The growing season is drawing to a close in Tampa Bay, causing concerned locavores to wonder what they can do to tide them over until November. Here are a few tips to get through the hot months, when the growing gets tough and even the tough stay indoors.

Wagyu cattle at Pasture Prime, just one of the sources for local meat and seafood.

Source locally for meat and seafood. Produce may be thinning, but you can still find ideal sources of local meat and seafood in the Tampa Bay and the surrounding Central and South Florida area. Check out Pasture Prime Farms for Wagyu Cattle. They even deliver! This Lil’ Piggy Farm is a premier place for local pork, where Rhonda hand-delivers orders in the region. If you’re feeling adventurous, rabbit is the other other white meat, very lean, and an excellent source of nutrition. Rabbits, etc. is close to Tampa and specializes in rabbits, but also features chickens, lamb, and even produce. It operates a year-round meat and veggies CSA. Now is the time to find your favorite local meat sources, and maybe even visit the farms to really know the farms, get to know the farmers, and see the animals.

Dine at local restaurants. Support local businesses by visiting restaurants and eateries in your area that source locally. Even though they aren’t able to fill their menu with as many regional delicacies in the low season, support chefs and restaurant owners in the off-season to keep them going all year long.

Some markets, like the Fresh Market at the Shops at Wiregrass, are open all year long, providing local goodies in high and low season

Visit year-round markets. While most markets are closing up shop within the next few weeks, there are some summer markets where you just might find a new favorite local product. St Petersburg’s Saturday Market changes location in June but sticks it out through July. For north Tampa residents, visit the Shops of Wiregrass the first and third Saturdays of every month for local goodies all year long. In addition to some local producers who may be able to grow with innovative aquaponic methods, you can also find local food artisans, like bakers and jammers, who aren’t constrained by the season.

Find a spot to grow your own. You can’t get more local than your own backyard. Take the time during the summer to build a raised bed, stock up on compost, or till your soil and get it ready for fall planting. Visit some workshops run by your county’s Cooperative Extension Office to learn some tips and tricks for growing on your own. Also look into community gardens in your area or CSAs who may be accepting new applications and will fill up before the season starts.

Look for displays of local products available at produce stands and small shops.

Enjoy local food artisans. There is no season for local favorites, such as goat cheese from The Dancing Goat, or Ezekiel bread from 20 Shekels, which can be found at year-round markets like those mentioned above. When shopping at produce stands, look for jams, jellies, and other goodies that are made in the region but may not have an outlet for direct sale during the summer months.

Relax at a local brewery/winery. Stop in to a local tasting room, take a tour of a local brewery, or visit a regional vineyard to learn about these local services, which may not be on your radar during the busy season. Sampling the menu is the best way to pass a summer afternoon. Don’t forget to take the time to talk to the makers, hear their stories, and taste their favorites. Since tourists are waning over the next few months, owners, brewers, and viniculturists have more time to chat, and they appreciate the interest of the locals. Find new favorites that you can enjoy all year.

Don’t think your options are limited in the offseason! Look for opportunities to find new favorites and explore new sources.

Look beyond the local, but still be knowledgeable about your food. Keep your ear to the ground by visiting online food guides, like RealTimeFarms.com. This site allows you to trace your food back to its source, whether your eating in or eating out, so you can feel good about the food you eat, even if it’s not local. You can also attend events by local branches of national organizations, like Slow Food USA. These resources can help you stay informed about local happenings and national trends, so you can still be healthy and happy even when you can’t stay local, but can stay in the know for when the gates open again in November.

Think before you eat,

Elizabeth Murray

Winter 2012 Tampa Food Warrior

Fun and Games at This Lil Piggy Farm

Rhonda works hard to have a close relationship with each and every pig.

Rhonda Williams is probably one of the most enthusiastic and engaging farmers I’ve met in my food travels around Central Florida. I’ve visited a lot of amazing farms, seen beautiful places, and met some great characters on two legs and four.However, from my first email correspondence, with Rhonda’s use of animated pig emoticons, I knew I was in for an extra special treat at This Lil’ Piggy Farm.

Pigs, like puppies, greet with their nose first

When I stepped out of my car on arrival to the farm, I was immediately greeted by a young pig sniffing my shoes. Bubby was my escort for the rest of my visit, keeping tabs on me and keeping by Rhonda’s side. Immediately, I knew she did things differently here.

Farming is certainly hard-work, and Rhonda doesn’t hold back, tending to sows in labor late in the evening or rising early for the morning feed. This Lil Piggy Farm is Animal Welfare Approved (Look out for the post to come!), “farming as if everything matters – because it does!” She truly cares for her pigs and their personal well-being. Her methods are unconventional, but Rhonda just tries to have fun along the way, doing the best for her pigs and her customers. With her friendly pigs, it seems easy to enjoy the day. My short visit turns into a 4 hour tour in blink of an eye.

Pulling on my bag and wanting to play

The entertaining piglets are like puppies, pulling on my bag and wanting to play. It’s a struggle to photograph the rumbustious litter of 4 week old Duroc/Yorkshire mixes, but my frustration is tempered by a wonder at their playful spirits and friendly personalities. It’s all I can do not to take one home.

You can’t help but laugh at these curious creatures with muddy snouts.

“I’m picky about who I keep,” Rhonda says while describing her herd of about 15 resident pigs. Each pig has a name and a personality to match. Her pigs are bred and raised on the property before being processed at a local AWA audited facility, South Marion Meats, Gary and Sue Armoogan of South Marion Meats also value food transparency, and were the only local processors to agree to AWA auditing. Rhonda then personally delivers orders to local homes and regional restaurants.

Often these well-tempered piglets find homes as 4-H projects or even as household pets! Due to the unconventionally close relationship Rhonda has with each ‘lil’ piggy,’ they respect her and other humans, leading healthy and happy lives with little stress and, therefore, little aggression. Hand-raising allows Rhonda to hand-pick, unfortunately sometimes having to find new homes from unruly pigs. “There’s not room for mean in my barn,” Rhonda comments.

Sleepy and smiling lil’ piggy.

The fun of hand-raising does come with some dilemmas. Rhonda always welcomes interested members of the community with open arms. Recently, a potential customer visited the farm. After her visit, the woman remarked, “I just love your pigs too much to ever buy pork from you.” Rhonda laughed as she told me this story. “That just happens sometimes.”

Rhonda loves her pigs and would rather have that closeness, helping the pigs have happy lives, and making her life happier, too. “No matter how short or how long their lives are, they deserve to have the best life possible.” Reflecting on the 4-H clubs and be able to give pigs to young children to raise and love, she says, “that fun stuff helps me deal with the sad stuff.”

It all seems to be fun stuff at This Lil Piggy Farm, where every pig is appreciated and enjoyed, entertained and entertaining, no matter what.

Happy pigs at This Lil Piggy Farm:

Think before you eat,

Elizabeth Murray

Winter 2012 Tampa Food Warrior

“There is something about an old barn”

The new barn has been raised at Geraldson Community Farm. The celebratory barn dance a few weeks ago would have been a sight to see, but the sprouting veggies and fruit still made me glad I came. Sunflowers frame a large barn, built brand new with green technology, but deigned to replicate old Florida to highlight the agricultural heritage of the land. The farm, operated by the local nonprofit Florida West Coast Resource Conservation & Development, resides on the land of an old family farm. The land was donated to Manatee County, with the hope that it would be kept agricultural. Geraldson Community Farm is trying to keep that hope alive.

Geraldson Community Farm is 100% certified organic, with the mission, like many other small farms, of providing fresh, local produce to their community. As part of this effort, they operate primarily as community supported agriculture (CSA), with 180 members. They also sell through local co-ops and food buying clubs. Any excess produce or orphaned shares are donated to a local food bank.

In all of their work, there is a highlight on community. Their priority of sustainable farming is followed closely by a focus on building community. The recent barn dance is just one of many community functions that will be held at Geraldson; educational courses and demonstrations are soon to follow.

Similar to Gamble Creek, another farm operated by Florida West Coast RC&D, Geraldson Community Farm wants to train community members in an effort to build up the farming community. An extensive 3-year apprenticeship program teaches young farmers the skills needed to farm, as well as the market training and business savvy needed to establish and run a successful farm.

The relationship with Florida West Coast RC&D and the two local farms are rather unusual, but is very beneficial for the farms and the community. As a non-profit 501c3, the RC&D has little to gain from farm operations – proceeds go back into the respective farms and are investing back into the people, the land, and produce, at each farm. The organization only hopes to help community members, working with all interested parties. The establishment of the farms was determined base don community input, and the organization always has the interest of the community in mind. As a critical stakeholder, the RD&D operates as a research center and fundraiser (mostly through grants) for the local farms, looking to bridge the gap between consumers and producers while providing useful research and development for all parties.”Whether you are a consumer or grower, we want to help connect you with resources within the local food system.”

The barn is the latest manifestation of that focus on connecting communities. It will operate as a heart of the farm, as a place to celebrate food and community, to encourage people to ‘know their food’, and to invite members to hang out to know each other.

 

Think before you eat,

Elizabeth Murray

Winter 2012 Tampa Food Warrior

Taking a Gamble at Gamble Creek: Water Conservation and Farmer Training

This large retention pond is just one way Gamble Creek conserves water.

The water crisis is a global issue; it is a finite resources and ongoing problem even in the wetlands of Florida. Since agriculture accounts for up to 80% of water consumed in the country, it has been a large focus in water conservation practices. Hydroponics, aquaponics, and drip irrigation are all options to help decrease the rate of water used in agriculture. However, there is still much room for improvement, as these methods can be costly and/or not applicable to some crops. Reclaimed water may be another option.

Reclaimed water being used to help grow eucalyptus trees.

Gamble Creek Farms, a CSA and training centre operated by the local non-profit organization Florida West Coast RC&D, is currently researching and testing the use of reclaimed water in agriculture. They are currently working on growing eucalyptus for limber and biofuel, but hope to one day use the water for other crops, namely irrigation. Reclaimed water is cheap, it decreases the stress on fresh water resources, and recycles water that would otherwise by wasted. Eric Geraldson, the farm manager at Gamble Creek, also uses hydroponic systems, well water, and a large retention pond, optimizing his water conservation.

An elaborate web of pipes for fresh water, well water, retained water, and reclaimed water, all balanced in an effort to maximize water conservation.

Perhaps most importantly, the Florida West Coast RC&D operates a training facility through Gamble Creek, helping local farmers adopt water conservation practices and, through the MARS grant program, helps farmers install the needed infrastructure on their own property. Together, they are helping local farmers while also providing another source of fresh local food for the people of Manatee County

In this way, the partners at Florida West Coast RC&D and Gamble Creek Farms are taking a gamble, testing new solutions to larger global solutions to the water crisis, but the innovations are worth the risk for those involved.

Flowering okra as part of Gamble Creek's Certified Organic CSA fields.

Think before you eat,

Elizabeth Murray

Winter 2012 Tampa Food Warrior

Diversifying your farming portfolio: The ‘etc.’ is key at Rabbits, etc.

Growing new veggies in innovative systems is the easiest way to diversify your farm. Here, container-planted zucchini foregrounds a wide selection of produce in stocked pot towers.

Diversifying your portfolio takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to farming. This advice is often given to investors, new business people, and young college students getting ready to enter the field. However, the words that follow ‘in this economy…’ can apply to any one of us, students to experts, architects to biologists, engineers to farmers. Whatever the economists want call the current state of affairs – recession, depression, dip, bust – times are tough. This is why I keep furthering my education with more degrees, and why diversifying your portfolio is more important than ever – even for farmers.

Mike and Dee Blaha of Rabbits, etc. come from the corporate world and pride themselves on the business  savvy minds they brought to their new career as farmers. Mike’s family has owned the 20+ acres since the 1940s. Mike and Dee have been tilling the land since 1992. They started with raising commercial rabbits (2 rabbits and $200). The business soon gained momentum and a close relationship with a local broker and processor kept business booming. That is, until the processing plant burned down and the Blaha’s were left with no selling outlet. “That is when we learned not to put all of our eggs in one basket,” Dee tells me as she shows me around the 20 acre farm that truly grows a bit of everything.

Warms and warm castings, harvested from below the rabbit cages, account for nearly 50% of the sales at Rabbits, etc. Dee's dog serves a dual purpose of farm tour escort and chicken wrangler.

Rabbits are still the star of the show, though the greatest market is actually the worms that are harvested from below the cages. The worms were introduced to help turn the waste into compost, but has since become the most profitable yield at the farm, providing  live worms for bait and vermaculture, worm castings from at-home composting, as well as general all-natural compost for fertilizing.

The rest of their business is comprised of a long inventory of meat and produce: cattle, pigs, turkeys, lamb, chickens, eggs, swiss chard, peas, beans, beets, lettuce of all types… the list goes on and on… and of course, the rabbits! “We have up to 5,000 noses on the property at any one time,” Dee says with a grin.

The couple has recently taken on a CSA membership base, offering their members a diverse mix of meat and veggies in their year-long weekly share, and further diversifying their farming portfolio.

“It was never a plan, it all just came up and developed naturally. Everything here we just sort of fell into,” Dee continues. As my tour goes on, I am repeatedly surprised at what I find around the corner. I am most impressed by the recent foray into corn – a rarity among small farms. A drip irrigation system with a rain barrel has been assembled to help the small rows along. “We’ll try anything once!” Dee exclaims.

Rabbits are breed and raised on site, though no artificial processes are used. "The animals already know what to do," says Dee.

But even with all the experimenting in production, they do stick true to their farming techniques. Though they breed and raise their own rabbits, pigs, lamb, and cows, they allow the process to happen naturally. “We don’t artificial breed. It may be more profitable, but… oh well,” Deb shrugs. “We let nature do its thing, allowing most of the animals to hang out together and let what happens, happens.” The rabbits are bred in a more structured system that is tracked through a software program, allowing Deb to identify even the great-great-great grandma of any rabbit in-house.

Baby rabbits nestled in a nest their mother made from paper scraps and tufts of fur. Reminiscent of an Easter basket.

This is just one example of the high level of professionalism at the farm that seems to balance so much. Contracts are used for all CSAs members and business partners. Dee excels at grant writing and is a stickler for spelling. “I don’t care if it’s the white board at the front stand. It needs to be spelled right!” Her eye for detail and mind for business  has been the secret of their success.

But their motivation comes from a heart for farms, and doing it right. At Rabbits, etc., sustainable practices means having your hands in many pots, literally and figuratively, though Dee doesn’t use the term: “I don’t worry about the newest buzzword. I just do it. We’ve always grown stuff life this.”

Think before you eat,

Elizabeth Murray

Winter 2012 Tampa Food Warrior

Aquaponics: the new wave of the future? A view from Green Acre

“We thought it was messed up you had to be wealthy to be healthy,” Gina Cavaliero, of Green Acre Organics, says at the beginning of her farm tour. The tour, held once a month, welcomes visitors to the farm, though “tour” is slightly misleading since the commerical farm operates on just 2,000 square feet of growing space. Nevertheless, community members make the journey down a dirt road, many of them return visitors, to learn more about the hybrid growing system of aquaponics in a farm session that is booked solid every month. Through this system, that small 2,000 square foot space grows over 13,000 plants at a time, using 20,000 gallons of recycled water, and just 118 watts of energy. Oh, and did I mention the 280 tilapia that are crucial to the whole system? Yes, the entire system rests on the backs of fish.

Aquaponics, Gina explains to the 20 or so interested individuals gathered, creates a closed system that optimizes the growing of clean and nutritious food. “We got into this business after getting into organics and just wanting clean, fresh food,” explains Gina. Though Green Acre is not certified organic, it builds from the values and beliefs of organic standards. First and foremost, the system is sustainable.

It all begins with the fish –  280 tilapia swimming in a rearing tank, producing valuable fertilizer in the form of fish waste. The only fertilizer Green Acre buys is in the form of fish flakes as feed. This all-natural system then pumps the water through a series of sieves in order to sift out the ‘good stuff’, which is then pumped in an ‘s’ pattern through multiple troughs, where plants sit in basket-like cups set in trays floating on water. Gravity pulls the water through the system. At the lowest point, a 118 watt pump moves the water back the rearing tank, where it is oxygenated and the whole cycle begins again. The entire system is closed and sustainable. The 118 watt pump will soon be operated with solar energy to make the entire system renewable.

Aquaponic classes are taught at the farm, where Gina and partner Tonya Penick share their knowledge and experience with aquaponics system. This system is not only clean and sustainable, but also scalable. “We do it on a commercial level, but it could work even on a condo balcony… We want to teach as many people as possible about growing food this way.”

Gina is careful not to be too idealistic about the aquaponic system, emphasizing that we still need conventional farming for grains. Work is being done on growing rice in aquaponic systems, however corn and soy are a long way off, if not impossible to grow aquaponically due to the mass acreage required. “What we can hope for is to grow everything else this way [aquaponically]. We can take some of the burden off the big-ag businesses and more land can be used effectively,” Gina continues, echoing many of the same conclusions by Jonathan Foley in a recently posted ted talk. In his talk, Foley asked people to come together at the table to find solutions, combining the best of organic, local, and even GMOs. Aquaponics could easily be added to that solution, using 90% less water than conventional methods and delivering clean food directly to the consumer – potentially even at the hands of the consumer, as local farmers are reaching out and teaching innovative methods through tours and classes like those offered at Green Acre.

Think before you eat,

Elizabeth Murray

Winter 2012 Tampa Food Warrior