Backyard aquaponics as self-sustained farm in (sub)urban LA
Scott Henley wanted to prove he could turn the backyard of his modest
Pasadena (Los Angeles) home into a working farm. To turn his
8000-square-foot backyard into a productive farm, Henley turned to
aquaponics- a combination of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics:
"This is a very efficient way to grow things in a small space. And it
also produces a protein source."
He farms tilapia because they
breed fast. The fish waste is broken down in the water by
naturally-occurring bacteria into nitrate. The plants take up the
nitrates as food and the now-cleaned water is fed back to the fish and
the process begins again. The only inputs are sunlight and fish food.
It's an inherently organic system because any pesticides would upset the
natural balance of the small ecosystem.
After just 2 years in
operation, he- through Whisper Farms- now sells enough produce to
restaurants, CSAs and at the local (Altadena) farmer's market- to cover
all costs and produce a small profit. His "experiment" is still not
productive enough to create a salary, but he hopes that will change once
he's able to sell his fish and create more of a cooperative setup with
other farms (to reduce the permitting costs for selling at farmers'
markets).
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