The Recirculating Farms Club is showcasing the future of farming in Talley Student Union with an intricate aquaponic system of pipes, tanks, bacteria, fish and spring mix lettuce.
The core mission of the project is to educate the public on the benefits of aquaponics and recirculating farms with an interactive experience, according to Maddie Ciszewski, a junior studying agricultural science and president of the RFC.
Aquaponic technology offers an alternative to traditional farming by combining aquaculture, farming aquatic animals, and hydroponics, growing plants in nutrient-rich water rather than soil.
“I definitely think that getting more people on board with sustainable agriculture starts at a younger age, whether it’s middle school or college,” Ciszewski said. “But these are the people who are supposed to go out and change the world. Hopefully getting kids to actually see this and not just hear about it through the grapevine; they’ll get excited to do something similar.”
NC State Dining, the Brickyard Farmer’s Market and some local food banks will make use of the food grown by the RFC’s system. The current batch is destined for salads at 1887 Bistro, while future batches will also include herbs.
“Giving to the food bank is a good way to give back to the Raleigh community,” Ciszewski said. “Working with University Dining and the Farmers’ Market is a really good way to reach out to students and get them interested about it. It’s not just this closed-off exhibit here in Talley; they can actually get involved with it.”
A Sustainability Fund grant — awarded to RFC advisor and member of the faculty in the department of biological sciences Lisa Paciulli, alumnus Paul Begue and Tyler Nethers— provided the funds for the RFC to build the system. As part of the grant, NC State Dining helped the club find a proper location for the exhibit near Talley Market.
According to Chris Dunham, nutrition and sustainability specialist, NC State Dining is committed to incorporating sustainability on campus in any way they can.
The system uses multiple aspects of sustainable design.
Gravity takes water full of nutrients from the waste of tilapia fish to the grow beds. The waste is then filtered to remove the solids and converted into a chemical form that plants can use for nutrition. Lettuce, in particular, thrives in an aquaponic system because it easily absorbs nutrients from the water and grows quickly in three to four weeks, according to Dunham.
The club has brought together students from a wide variety of disciplines including Sayam Patel, a sophomore studying physics. Fascinated by the novelty of growing plants in a nontraditional and more efficient manner, Patel became a member of the club during his first year.
“It just seemed like a futuristic thing that I was interested in, so I joined,” Patel said. “Ever since, I was just learning more and more at every meeting, and it’s been fun.”
Patel helps to manage the monitoring system for the project, which senses various environmental conditions including acidity, water and air temperature, humidity and salinity. Patel plans on setting up a camera to check the plants daily, making it possible for the project members to access the monitor from their own computers.
Ciszewski said she plans on bringing the system to the State Fair in October. After the fair, the club plans on working with NC State Dining to find a permanent home so that the farm can continue to interactively educate.
