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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Grand Bahama
Freeport, Bahamas - The Garden of the Groves Aquaponics Farm has been in operation for one year. Teachers from Grand Bahama as well as Grand Cay, Abaco attended a three day workshop to learn and see firsthand the process of Aquaponics Farming in order to enlighten their students at the various Government Schools. Eventually the teachers are hoping to implement aquaponics farming in the school system. Wayne Hall, Operations Manager of the aquaponics farm was thrilled to host such a workshop and share his knowledge with teachers and The Agriculture Unit of the Department of Education. Participants became familiar with seed planting, transfer of plants after germination into floating growing beds, maintenance of fish that provide organic nutrients as well as harvesting of greens. Mrs. Gena Grainger has become the managing partner in the Garden’s Aquaponics Operation and will bring technical knowledge and experience as well as marketing skills to the table. The current aquaponics farm cannot meet the local demand for fresh lettuce, therefore we are enlarging the aquaponics farm by another fifty five hundred square feet. The first harvest is anticipated to take place in October. Ms. Haily Flowers, a former graduate from Lucaya International School and student at The University of West Virginia interned at the Garden’s aquaponics farm. Ms. Flowers was instrumental with designing and starting an herb garden in the Healing Garden near the Labyrinth. Ms. Flowers is currently studying landscape architecture and environmental therapy. During July and August over five hundred summer camp students participated in the guided tours of the garden which included, viewing the process of aquaponics farming, that incorporates the combination of aquaculture [fish farming] and hydroponics [cultivating plants using water]. Some children took part in a compost demonstration then viewed the plant nursery.
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