Aquaponics in New England: Introduction

Can aquaponics work as an economically competitive system in New England? I admit that the technique may not initially appear suited to the region: traditional farming and fishing have had long, successful histories in New England, and one of aquaponics' main advantages, water conservation, would seem best applied to an arid climate. However, I believe that aquaponics fits quite well, and here's why:

1. It can supplement the offerings of traditional farming and fishing where they have limits;
2. It can significantly improve the sustainability of produce and fish production; and
3. It can foster a substantial increase in local food production that will strengthen food security and protect our natural resources – especially important in a future with a changing climate and growing population

Each of these three arguments is laid out in the individual posts below (Parts I-III), and you can download the a PDF of the complete paper here. My home state of Massachusetts will serve as the example throughout, and I use the term ‘traditional farming’ to refer to soil based agriculture including organic and non-organic. 

As a life-long New Englander, I see aquaponics as a means to participate in the revival of its once thriving agricultural community, all while preserving its natural resources to the highest degree. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Enjoy!

Part I - Aquaponics in New England

Part I of Aquaponics in New England discusses how aquaponics can supplement the offerings of traditional farming and fishing where they have limits. A PDF of the entire paper (Parts I-III) can be downloaded here, including a full list of sources referenced by footnotes.

Supplement Traditional Farming & Fishing

 

First, it is important to understand the current state of agricultural affairs in Massachusetts. After a precipitous decline in the 1960s, the number of farms in the state is now on the rise (see Figure 1). As of 2008, the state had more than 7,700 farms (including aquaculture and nurseries).¹ Many of these farms have hit on effective and profitable strategies, such as Community Supported Agriculture, farmers markets, and/or organic certification. The growth is fueled significantly by organic agriculture. Between 1997 and 2008, the number of farms in Massachusetts increased 28% while the number of organic farms increased over 3,000% (from 3 to 103).¹

Traditional Farming

Despite the growth, traditional farming has limits in Massachusetts. Whether organic or not, traditional farms have a limited growing season. Many cold hardy species...

Part II - Aquaponics in New England

Part II of Aquaponics in New England discusses how aquaponics can improve the sustainability of produce and fish production. A PDF of the entire paper (Parts I-III) can be downloaded here, including a full list of sources referenced by footnotes. 

Improve Sustainability of Local Harvest

Water Use

In addition to providing a sustainable source of fish, aquaponics has other sustainability advantages over traditional farming, hydroponics, and aquaculture. First, these techniques use a lot of water. Traditional aquaculture methods use between 0.57 and 33 cubic meters (m³) of water produce 1 kilogram (kg) of fish, depending on method⁸ (See Table 2). Research at the University of Virgin Islands has shown that their aquaponics system uses less than half of the water of the most productive aquaculture systems: 0.25 m³/kg.⁸ On average, aquaponic systems use between 90 and 99% less water than traditional aquaculture systems.⁹

 

Aquaponics also uses less water than hydroponic crop production. Aquaponic systems...

Part III - Aquaponics in New England

Part III of Aquaponics in New England discusses how aquaponics can fuel a significant increase in the region's food production. A PDF of the entire paper (Parts I-III) can be downloaded here, including a full list of sources referenced by footnotes. 

Help Scale Up Local Food Production

Scaling up refers to significantly increasing food production to a level well above the status quo, dramatically altering the ratio of imported to in-state/region produced food

 

Why Scale Up?

Aquaponics offers the potential to scale up local food production for Massachusetts and New England. But first, why is scaling up production important to the region? As discussed previously, locally produced food tends to produce less GHGs. It also provides an opportunity for local employment, helps to reinvest money in the state or local community, and preserves open space and rural character of the region, supporting tourism and real estate values. Local food often tastes better, too, because varieties are cultivated for their flavors. In contrast, most commercial varieties are cultivated for their ability to withstand the assault of freezing, packing, and shipping hundreds or thousands of miles.

In addition to growing demand for local food, climate change presents a major economic argument for increasing local food production. Most of the extremely high risk areas for water stress in the Tetra Tech study are in America’s major agricultural areas: the Great Plains and Southwest, including California.¹³ Globally, climate change will have an overall detrimental effect on agriculture, too.¹⁰ This means prices for imported food will...