The Aquaponics Greenhouse will open at the San Bernardino County Museum on Saturday, Sept. 20. During opening day, a variety of hands-on activities will be offered for children and families. Activities start at 10 a.m. and continue through 3 p.m. Activities and tours of the greenhouse are included with museum general admission.
The greenhouse is a self-contained ecosystem supporting plants and fish through water recycling. Tilapia swim and grow in tanks through which water circulates into growing tanks for vegetables. “We’re essentially growing our own fish tacos,” said Serving Proud Industries Veteran Jeff Allen. “The greenhouse is a demonstration project, built by volunteers using recycled materials and learning as we progress. Eventually, this simple technology will make backyard and small scale subsistence farming practical and productive.”
The greenhouse is a Design/Build Project partnership that includes volunteers from The Incredible Edible Community Garden; Serving Proud Industries, a Veterans service program; San Bernardino Veterans Affairs; and Integrated Infrastructures, a planning and architecture firm. The installation is funded by the USDA Forest Service with additional support from Braceros Landscaping and Maintenance, Home Depot North Upland Store, Riverstone Industries, Invisible Structures, Art Specialties, and educator Mary Walls.
“The Aquaponics project is a great example of volunteers and agencies, including the County Museum, working together to provide practical and inspiring learning opportunities,” said Leonard Hernandez, the museum’s interim director. “Its location beside our ethnobotany garden reinforces the premise that native plants and responsible use of resources, including water, can play an important role in our everyday lives.”
“With Aquaponics you have a renewable source of protein as well as renewable source of produce,” said Eleanor Torres, Co-Executive Director of Incredible Edible Community Garden and Serving Proud Industries. “It is a scalable and contained system that can feed a family for relatively little money.”