A new technology is finding its way into the horticulture curriculum at a Washington County school where students are growing produce that may wind up on their cafeteria plates this fall. It is called aquaponics, a sustainable food production system that combines aquaculture, or the raising of fish, with hydroponics, the growing of plants in water.
Through a partnership with Washington County Public Schools and Abingdon-based Wyndale Gardens, Holston High School students are part of a new pilot program to learn first-hand about the sophisticated farming operation that's growing in popularity throughout the country and in Virginia.
The system at Holston High School is a symbiotic relationship where about 400 Blue Nile Tilapia provide nutrients for the plants through their waste, and plants clean the water for the fish, creating a self-sustaining cycle. Beneficial bacteria convert this waste into nutrients that plants can absorb, and the plants, in turn, filter the water, which is then returned to the fish tank.
"It's an amazing process," said Andrew Greer, a senior at the school who is greenhouse manager this year, working with the plants as soon as he arrives at school early each morning. Greer is responsible for plant care, feeding the fish daily, and weekly cleaning, and he even comes in on weekends to check the plants.
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