Farmer and Vendor Spotlight
What is the future of farming? What new innovations will be inspired by the desire to re-localize our food, while reducing our ecological footprint? These are exciting times as such questions are asked, and occasionally answered. Steve Meyer of A Future Farm, Baldwin, WI, certainly has his own idea of how the future of farming may take shape, only he is doing it here and now.
Swimmin' tilapia!
We have just begun carrying Steve’s amazing lettuces here in the store, and they are amazing not only because they look amazing, but because of how they have been grown. These lettuces have been grown aquaponically – what’s THAT you say? Well, it is the combination of hydroponics and aquaculture (the raising of fish). The fish waste in water is an excellent fertilizer for plants, so the water from aquaculture tanks is piped through the lettuce grow beds, which absorb and utilize the fish waste. Then the cleaned up water is cycled back into the fish tanks. What a great use of resources!
‘But wait’, you say.. ‘what about the extra energy used to heat a greenhouse in the winter here in this climate?’
Well, Steve has also put forth a creative and resourceful answer to that pesky little problem. He also has a herd of cattle who produce a lot of waste, which can be used to create a biogas (methane) to be used for heating the greentunnel.
For more information on his operation, check out his website: www.afuturefarm.com
Ann – you got me hooked on all their jams – but you are right about the Ginger Pear – good lord I can’t get enough of it – I have loved it in many ways – but lately I like it with a dab of goat cheese on a plain water type cracker – I swear I have been reaching for it first thing in the morning before I even start my coffee maker! Good Stuff – no – GREAT stuff!
Posted by: MeganG on November 20th, 2009 at 3:10 pm