Growing Fish in Greenhouses

Summary

The video highlights an innovative urban farm called Growing Power in Milwaukee, where salad greens and yellow perch are grown together in greenhouses using aquaponics. The plants naturally filter water for the fish, creating a sustainable, low-cost system. Led by Will Allen, the project provides fresh food to local markets and helps revitalize abandoned urban spaces. With technical support from Fred Binkowski of the University of Wisconsin, Growing Power demonstrates a scalable model that can be replicated globally, offering environmental, economic, and social benefits.

Takeaways

• 🌿 Salad greens and fish, like arugula, watercress, and yellow perch, grow well together in greenhouses.
• 🏙️ Growing Power is an urban farm in Milwaukee that grows food for local groceries and restaurants.
• 🐟 Yellow perch numbers declined in Lake Michigan in the 1990s, making them a sought-after fish in local markets.
• 👨‍🌾 Will Allen, who runs Growing Power, uses an integrated system where fish and plants are grown together.
• ♻️ Plants, soil, and pebbles are used as natural filters in the system, which recycles fish waste to nourish the plants.
• 🔬 Aquaculture specialist Fred Binkowski from the University of Wisconsin is helping refine the system.
• 💧 Unlike traditional aquaculture systems that rely on expensive mechanical filters, Growing Power uses plants to clean the water.
• 🏙️ Urban fish farming offers benefits like reducing transportation costs, creating jobs, and repurposing abandoned factories.
• 🌍 Growing Power’s model can be easily replicated in other parts of the world, including places like Ghana and South America.
• 🤝 The collaboration between Growing Power and the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute has helped advance community-based projects.

Q & A

What is Growing Power and where is it located?

Growing Power is a community-based urban farm located in Milwaukee. It grows food for local groceries and restaurants.

Which fish and plants are mentioned as growing together in Growing Power's greenhouses?

Yellow perch is grown alongside arugula and watercress in Growing Power's greenhouses.

Why is yellow perch in high demand at local markets?

Yellow perch is in high demand because its population in Lake Michigan crashed in the 1990s, making it a favorite fish that's now harder to find.

How does Growing Power use plants in their aquaculture system?

Growing Power uses plants like arugula and watercress to filter the water, removing waste such as solids, ammonia, and carbon dioxide from the system.

What role does Will Allen play in the Growing Power project?

Will Allen runs Growing Power, managing the system where fish and plants grow together and advocating for its benefits in urban farming.

Who is Fred Binkowski and what is his contribution to the project?

Fred Binkowski is an aquaculture specialist at the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. He provides technical support to Growing Power, helping refine their aquaculture system.

What makes Growing Power's aquaculture system unique compared to others?

Growing Power's aquaculture system is unique because it uses plants instead of expensive mechanical filters to clean the water. This system is rare in greenhouse aquaculture.

What advantages does urban fish farming offer, according to Fred Binkowski?

Urban fish farming reduces transportation costs, meets consumer demand, creates jobs, and can help repurpose abandoned factories, especially in areas that have lost manufacturing industries.

How is Growing Power's system being shared with other parts of the world?

Will Allen has taken the Growing Power model to places like Ghana, South America, and other communities around the world, where people are interested in replicating the system.

What is the significance of the partnership between Growing Power and the University of Wisconsin?

The partnership between Growing Power and the University of Wisconsin is important because it allows community-based organizations to collaborate with academic institutions, sharing state-of-the-art technology for aquaculture and benefiting local communities.