Green Phoenix Farms, the leading North Texas Aquaponics educational and systems design firm, will hold an open house at its new office/warehouse/seminar facility in Mansfield Tuesday, June 24, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. This overview of Aquaponics growing technology and procedures, and a tour of the demonstration systems as well as a new fish breeding area at the firm’s headquarters, is the first in a summer-long schedule of free sessions designed to answer questions about this exciting alternative farming method, according to Adam Cohen, president of Green Phoenix Farms.
Looking to the Future
Cited as one of the best methods to provide food for the world’s growing population, Aquaponics is a holistic method of growing fish and plants together in closed loop systems that are efficient and sustainable. It can be loosely characterized as a merging of hydroponics (or growing plants in water rather than soil) and aquaculture which is managed fish farming.
The fish and the plants nourish and sustain one another; Aquaponics systems require a minimum of space, and “recycle” water, using minimal energy and requiring no additives or chemicals of any kind. And the beauty of this method of growing is that the systems can be scaled for individual families to install in a backyard, as part of a larger garden or farming operation, or for large-scale commercial production.
Almost Ready to Harvest
Cohen noted that the Mansfield growing beds have been installed for only about a month now, and he notes that tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers will soon be ready for picking. Squash and eggplant are also growing, and several different kinds of basil are thriving; onions are maturing, and mint is usable for flavoring tea and lemonade; marigolds, nasturtiums and lavender add color and serve to naturally repel unwanted pests.
Cohen, who hold degrees in marine biology and marine fisheries from Texas A&M University, can also talk “almost endlessly” as he laughingly acknowledges, about the best fish to ad to an Aquaponics system. “The kids, of course, love brightly-colored goldfish,” he notes, so some of the tanks have hundreds of small, active swimmers. In others, however, there are tilapia, catfish and other kinds of fish suitable for eating.
Learning Opportunities
Following this week’s open house, regular Tuesday informational sessions will be open to the public from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. All sessions will include a brief overview of the field of Aquaponics as a growing method, a tour of the facilities, and an opportunity to ask questions. All classes are at Green Phoenix Farms offices, located at 2214 FM 1187 #9-104, Mansfield, Texas.
Green Phoenix Farms also has a comprehensive schedule of classes for which it charges an enrollment fee, and requires advance registration. Check the company’s website for more information. Coming August 9-10 is a Two-Day Learning Seminar, offering both intensive classroom instruction as well as several hands-on-sessions. Find more information and register online.
In addition, the company sponsors a monthly “Gathering” for Metroplex Aquaponics gardeners on the first Saturday of each month. Also free and open to anyone interested in the farming technique, an open exchange of information is encouraged. Occasionally, these monthly meetings also include a “community build,” or a special project. Additional information is available from Green Phoenix Farms.