Interested in reducing food insecurity? Looking to start an aquaponics farm in your community? Curious to learn what expertise is required to setup a planning team and what resources you will need?
View the full aquaponics PDF guide HERE
You can also view the USEPA Webinar on aquaponics in brownfields here:
Food security is defined by the USDA as access to enough food by all people at all times for an active, healthy life. While the prevalence of food insecurity has decreased since the 2011 peak, due to the great recession, it remains a major concern for many families across the country. Aquaponics farms provide healthy, fresh, and cost effective protein and vegetable sources to the local community, while providing job and educational opportunities for citizens of all ages. While technical feasibility surrounding aquaponics farms is readily available, prior to the Aquaponics Guide, very little information existed surrounding the economics of aquaponic production systems.
Vita Nuova LLC partnered with the SRA International Inc., Sage Risk Solutions, LLC, and Delaware State University to develop a comprehensive Aquaponics Guide. This pilot work, backed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will offer community
organizations and businesses interested in developing an aquaponics farm business plan an example by which to replicate at a larger scale. Theirs is the first to utilize a public-private partnership to establish and run the business on a brownfield property initially. The aquaponics guide provides guidance for developing a business plan for the startup and operation of an aquaponics farm.
The guide is paramount for communities looking to overcome/reduce food insecurity and to capitalize on existing infrastructure resources including repurposing of Brownfield properties and align its growing demand with corresponding increases in local employment opportunities and tax revenues. The guide offers several tips for success across the following areas: 1) crop management, 2) farm planning, 3) yield (size and capacity), 4) physical resources, 5) manpower needs, 6) workforce needs, and 7) regulation and policy. This tool is unique in that it provides guidance on cost-effective aquaponics production and a model by which to compare your own.
