Here’s a Seriously Fishy Way to Grow Food in Your Own Home

What if you could raise fish and grow fresh produce at the same time, in the same space? And what if you could do this without soil, pesticides, or other toxins? This may sound like some weird science experiment, but for two college students at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, it’s the next great entrepreneurial idea.
Jack Ikard and Shannon Crow have given fish-keeping a sustainable makeover with their invention, AquaSprouts. The device puts the farm right in your home by using aquaponics — a method that basically replicates the way plants and animals work together in nature. As fish create waste, the plants suck up the nutrients from it, fueling their growth. An added bonus of AquaSprouts? In this YouTube video, Ikard tells Good Day Austin that you don’t even have to clean the tank — ever. 
MORE: Why There are 10,000 Fish Swimming in the Basement of This NYC School
The system costs about $200 but actually pays for itself in the long run, Ikard says, because of the food you grow and the fact that there aren’t any costs to upkeep or maintain AquaSprouts.
With dreams to mass produce their aquatic innovation, the team is currently raising funds via  Kickstarter. Who’s betting that they are going to be successful raising a lot of greenbacks for this green idea?

How Catfish Can Help Solve California’s Water Woes

At Ouroboros Farms in Pescadero, Calif., you will find vegetables growing year round thanks to surprising set of helpers — catfish. These aquatic farmers are part of Ouroboros’ aquaponics system that’s becoming an answer to California’s parched farms, Bloomberg News reports.
California’s record-breaking drought necessitates the need for new ways to grow food. Although it’s expensive to set up (the Ouroboros system cost $60,000), aquaponics saves money in the long run, and more importantly, the system conserves our precious natural resources. Aquaponics actually uses up to 90 percent less water than traditional farming. Another beauty of aquaponics is that less land is used and it can be set up indoors. This means urban environments can have access to fresh, organic produce without having it shipped from elsewhere in the country.
MORE: How One City Is Stepping Up to Help Solve Our Fresh Water Worries
You can check out the video above to see how aquaponics replicates the way plants and animals work together in nature. As the catfish create waste, the plants suck it up as nutrients; no soil, pesticides or other toxins required. These fish are also sold as a source of protein so nothing goes to waste. Now that sounds like a tasty — and sustainable — solution.

This Urban Farm Has a Very Unusual Key to Success

Urban hydroponic farming can grow produce with less space and water than traditional methods and no soil at all. But these farms are fussy and complicated–if you mess up the chemistry, you can kiss a whole crop good bye overnight. That’s why Jan Pilarski created Green Bridge Growers. Her son Chris, who has a degree in chemistry and environmental studies but also has autism, is an ideal candidate for managing such a complex system. People with autism have a 90 percent unemployment rate, but Pilarski saw an entrepreneurial solution to Chris’ challenges. Many people with autism, like Chris, excel at work that involves minute attention to detail, precise timing, and constant monitoring–the exact skills you’d want for running a successful aquaponics farm. With the farm’s Indiegogo campaign exceeding its initial $15,000 goal to build a commercial-size facility, Pilarski hopes to hire four more workers for the project.

The Ingenious System to Grow More Food With Less Water

If there’s one high school competition I’d love to see, it would be schools competing for which one can do the best job of teaching students how to live more sustainably. Third generation farmer Kaben Smallwood has my vote for creating an aquaponics greenhouse at a rural public school in Kiowa, Oklahoma. Kids are harvesting crops for their school lunches while learning about water-thrifty systems that combine fish and plant farming. His company now has $40,000 and mentoring support to keep growing, with an award from the 2013 Hitachi Foundation Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneurs Program.