Each student was given a fish and a strawberry plant.
photo by Wes Schultz
Happy to have finished project in hand.
photo by Wes Schultz
Learning how to prepare a plant.
photo by Wes Schultz
Placing a strawberry plant into pipe filled with water fertilized by fish.
photo by Wes Schultz
Ryan Cox , on right, CEO of Aquaponics with high school assistant, Tyler instruct students.
photo by Wes Schultz
Strawberry plant ready to grow.
photo by Wes Schultz
Tommie Brown Academy received an aquaponics growing system as well as hands on educational experience from Inner City Aquaponics, a sustainable farming organization in Rossville. The installation was on Wednesday and combined aquaculture fish farming with strawberry plants grown hydroponically.
Tommie Brown kindergarten teacher Andria Powers organized the donation of the new system which will be used to engage students ages 4-6 in active learning about plant life cycles and how caring for plants helps the Earth and the important role that sustainable farming practices play.
Each of the 80 kindergarten students received a personal strawberry plant to care for and ICA founder Ryan Cox facilitated lessons on farming and caring for the planet.
ICA Farms, along with their sister company, HATponics, currently works with other schools around the region promoting sustainable farming education and life skill lessons for students of all ages.