Holy Cross School students recently celebrated a successful first harvest, but indoors. It’s all thanks to their Aquaponics Towers, which they’ve had installed since March of this year thanks to Sky-High Aquaponics and CEO Dick Tryon. Then, a second tower was gifted by the Eric Meyer family, who owns KAM’S in Champaign. A couple of the students shared how this impacts them and the world on the Morning Show.
Zora Unger and Lara Rank are seventh graders at Holy Cross who’ve contributed to growing produce using Aquaponics in class. The produce can then be used to provide food to local soup kitchens and organizations feeding the needy—a mission that was first started in Puerto Rico and Michigan, where Dick wanted to bring sustainability. Now, Champaign proudly sits on that list.
Lettuce, strawberries, and spinach are but a few of the produce opportunities Aquaponics can bring to fruition. This method of vertical farming is not only convenient but cost-effective. An average tower, at $1,500 to make, can feed a family of four for an entire year. It consists of lightweight piping that can be rotated in a carousel fashion by students and LED grow lights.
Using tilapia’s waste as natural fertilizer, produce can be grown year-round, safe from outdoor elements and changing seasons. It’s also hands-on education that teaches more lessons than math, science, and technology. It showcases to kids the power they have to better the world.
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