Sunday, July 3, 2011

No Antibiotics, Pesticides, or Hormones


Most have heard about urban chickens with homeowners raising several in a trendy little backyard coop. How about urban fish?

Scientist Martin Schreibman from Brooklyn, New York has developed a sophisticated Jacuzzi sized tank to raise home grown, delectable fish.

"His tanks are part of a system very different from a fish farm or natural ecosystem. Schreibman's worked for years to develop an advanced water-recirculation system that eliminates the need for chemicals during the growth process. It filters plain old tap water in and out of a tank, constantly circulating and removing fish waste."

Over the course of years of work, Schreibman says, "it just occurred to me and my colleagues that we can grow a lot of fish in a very small area, on land, under controlled conditions. And there are no antibiotics, pesticides or hormones."

He calls this method urban aquaculture, and believes it could catch on as people grown increasingly concerned about where their food comes from and whether it's sustainably produced.

"This is the future," he says.

He also has developed a hydroponic garden using fish waste as a fertilizer.

"Lettuce, herbs, bok choi and kale can all be grown this way. The plants float on a foam sheet, their roots dangling into the water below...."

Via NPR