The first
International Aquaponics Conference was held last month in Stevens Point. As a
type of agriculture, aquaponics is still in its infancy, but gauging from the
attendance, it’s generating lots of interest, both in this country and abroad.
In
aquaponics, plants and fish grow together in one integrated system – without
soil. Fish waste feeds the plants; plants filter water so fish thrive. The
result is a continuous supply of fresh, organic food that can be grown in
minimal space – anywhere – with almost no impact on the environment. Aquaponics
is indoor “farming” in a greenhouse-type environment. With the right science,
aquaponics is both economically and environmentally sustainable.
Aquaponics
can be used to raise vegetables and fresh fish year-round by an individual
family, to feed a village in a third-world country or as a profit-generating,
commercial-farming enterprise.
As the
fledgling aquaponics industry grows, the need for trained greenhouse-system
managers has emerged. UW-Stevens Point has responded by becoming a leader in
aquaponics education. In partnership with Nelson and Pade Aquaponics, a
Montello-based provider of aquaponics systems, supplies and training,
UW-Stevens Point has become the first accredited university to offer
semester-long aquaponics classes.
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