How a farm in Pennsylvania is using fish to grow basil
Farm uses technique called aquaponics to grow their herbaceous crop
How one university is using fish to grow basil
FOX Weather's Katie Byrne takes you to Cheyney University, where one group is researching aquaponics.
CHEYNEY, Penn. – A farm that has been around for almost two decades is using a unique technique to grow its crop of basil.
Family-run Herban Farms, on the campus of Cheyney University in Pennsylvania, has a 10,000-square-foot greenhouse filled with hundreds of the savory plant, but they aren’t planted in the ground. Instead, the plants float on top of pools that are connected to a tank where hundreds of fish swim. The fish produce nutrients that are used to feed the basil plants.
It’s a process known as aquaponics. As the name would suggest, it’s a system that combines agriculture with hydroponics.
"I think it’s a new, untapped resource, especially with the younger demographic," said Andrew German, managing partner at Herban Farms. "The changes in technology and infrastructure allow us to grow something in a confined space.
Students at the university help with growing the plants. The facility also offers hands-on experiences for kids to learn how aquaponics works.
"I think with this new and up-and-coming generations that they’re going to take advantage of this, with locally-grown produce right at their fingertips," German said.
The farm sells about 10,000 bags of basil a week to more than 150 grocery stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware.