You’ve probably heard of schools building gardens, but one New York City school is taking farming to a whole new level. The Food and Finance High School in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood has installed huge tubs in its basement that hold 10,000 tilapia, genetically engineered to be able to live in fresh water. Philson Warner, a Cornell University scientist uses the lab to teach kids about aquaculture.
Aside from fish, Warner has installed a hydroponic lab in the school, where students learn how to grow cabbages, herbs and other produce in water. There are also 300 lobster and 1,500 shrimp under Warner’s care. According to DNA Info, the lab sells $120,000 in fish per year. The fish and produce are also used in the school cafeteria and donated to local hunger relief organizations.
Tag: GMO
GMO Bill Gets Second Wind
In October, the Kauai County Council in Hawaii passed a bill that would make agricultural companies disclose more information about the pesticides and GMO crops they use. And then the Kauai mayor vetoed it. But the county council kept fighting and has successfully overridden the veto. This re-opens the way for the new law to go into effect. What’s important here is that a group of dedicated citizens stood up for their right to know more about what companies are doing near where they live and work. Especially when there are both known and unknown health risks at stake.