Despite laying dormant for years, a proposal for an innovative aquaponics farm in Kahnawake has new wind in its sails following the creation of a sustainable development portfolio at the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK).
The idea to build such a facility, which involves farming fish to create nutrient-rich water that is used to grow hydroponic produce, was popular when community consultations were done in 2020.
However, the $7-million price tag and questions about the project’s value as a revenue-generation tool derailed it as an economic development initiative, and it did not seem to be a comfortable fit for any alternative portfolios.
“Anything MCK-wise, it sort of has to fall within this portfolio structure that we have so it has the proper resources, and that’s what was lacking prior to this,” said MCK chief Cody Diabo, a longtime advocate of the project.
“I think a driving force now too is at the end of the day, it was never geared toward being a revenue-generation thing. It was geared to the community and people having access to healthier foods at a lower cost. Now, with inflation, there’s no reason we can’t do this and still be able to have the building self-sustainable.”
Read the entire article at Yahoo (Via the Eastern Door)
